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UNITED STATES OF AMEBIC A. 



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PRACTICAL RELIGION 

RECOMMENDED AND ENFORCED 



SERIES OF LETTERS, 



EPSILON TO HIS FRIEND 







By JOHN WOODBRIDGE, D. D. 



NEW-YORK: j 

PUBLISHED BY JOHN S. TAYLOR, j 

CORNER OF PARK-ROW AND NASSAU-STREET, j 

Opposite the City Hall. 

1837, 



.\a/6>7 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1837, 

BY JOHN S. TAYLOE, 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court fo^- the Southern 

DISTRICT OF NEW-YORK. 



^^7f 



Henry Ludwig, Printer, corner of Vesey and Greenwich-streets. 



PREFACE 



The following work is the fruit of a few weeks' leisure in the winter 
of 1836-7. It will be perceived at once, that the personages by whom 
the correspondence is supposed to be maintained, are fictitious ; and 
the reader will not be surprised to find some allusions and incidents, 
that are given with no other design than to keep up that appearance 
of reality, which the nature of such a work demands. There is, how- 
ever, no connected story, in the form of the religious novels of the age. 
The writer has given his opinions on various important subjects ; and 
the exhortations and counsels are of a general character, adapted to 
large classes of men. He has chosen the form of letters, as most fa- 
vourable to the freedom and variety of views, which he wished to 
introduce. 

One of his motives in undertaking the work, was the desire of occu- 
pation. No being is more wretched than the man who has nothing to 
do, or whose efforts are guided by no rules, and directed to no useful 
object. The charms of indolence exist only in the imagination. How- 
ever his book may be regarded by others, the writer has been rewarded 
for his labour in preparing it, by the intellectual and moral employ- 
ment which it has afforded him, during many a tedious wintry hour. 
Sweet are meditations on subjects connected with the glory of God, 
and the everlasting interests of man ; for these are themes which 
will engross the thoughts and awaken rapture in the bosoms of the 
ransomed, in that vast eternity which is their promised inheritance. 

Another, and, he trusts the leading motive of the wi-iter was, the 
hope of doing good. "Will not the pious reader offer one prayer, that 
this little volume may be honoured by the Redeemer as one of those 
instrumentalities, by which he will build up his kingdom on earth, and 
people the mansions of glory. 

This book is designed to aid, however feebly, the cause of scriptural, 
practical Christianity ; the unspeakable importance of which, none 
but infidels will presume to deny. Religion, rightly understood, is the 
great concern of man, to which all his earthly occupations and purpo- 



P R E F A C E. 

ses should be subordinate ; and without which he degrades himself be- 
low the level of the mere animal, formed only for the present world. 
The sinner is destined to exist forever. Could he cease to be, with the 
brute, his sottishness would be less evident ; — but despise religion as 
he will, he must meet the consequences of his conduct in the endless 
retributions of a future state. What madness can equal that, which 
trifles with eternal damnation, which throws away, as of no value, the 
incorruptible glories of paradise ! 

Some intimations of immortality are given by enlightened reason. 
Is it credible that the Most High has formed us with faculties, fitted to 
the attainment of the knowledge of himself, to excursions through the 
immensity of his works, and to endless improvement — with the design, 
that we should employ our minds for a few years here, encumbered 
with a load of animated clay — and then cease to be ? Has that reason, 
which is a spark of the Divinity itself, been kindled only that it might 
glow for a moment to little purpose, and then be extinguished forever? 
The stars continue to twinkle for ages. The rocks and the hills en- 
dure, while thousands of our generations successively enter on the 
stage of their mortal existence, and disappear. But what is an unin- 
telligent planet, or a sun, glorious though they be, to a thinking soul, 
capable of yielding obedience to the moral law of God ? Is a being of 
such majestic attributes a mere ephemera, compared with piles of 
granite, and heaps of earth ? If there be wisdom in such an economy, 
it is a wisdom which we cannot trace, a wisdom wrapped in the pro- 
foundest mystery. 

It is one of the most essential facts, connected with the idea of a 
Creator, that he is impartial and just in his providential distributions. 
The proofs of his impartiahty and justice, however, are much obsciired 
by his dealings towards mankind in this world. Innocence suffers, and 
oppression triumphs. The votary of religion and virtue, who would 
not sacrifice principle to interest, is excluded from the light of 
day, loaded with chains, and reduced to emaciation, and the utter 
loss of all that the world can give, for righteousness' sake. His tears, 
his prayers, his uncomplaining patience, touch not the flinty hearts 
of his persecutors. Behold them in their stately palaces, where music, 
and painting, and statuary, and gay associates, and numerous atten- 
dants, and feasting, and every form of voluptuous indulgence, con- 
spire to steel their breasts against all the impressions of pity, all the 
fears of dying. Shall it be always thus ? What a reflection does the 
very question seem to cast on the righteousness of Him, who judgeth 
in the earth ? 

Nor is the conscience of the guilty always silent. Stifle its reproofs 
as they may, it will sometimes speak in a voice of thunder. It meets 

4 



PREFACE. 

the ingrate, the adulterer, and the assassin, in the midnight hour, when 
all the world is still, and shouts in their ear, "Awake, awake ; furies 
are near ; there is a bar of judgment ; there is an eternal hell." 

The passions of man tell us that he was formed for immortality. 
He feels the earth to be too narrow a field for his enterprises ; and his 
life too brief a duratiort for the appropriate cultivation of his powers, 
and the acquisition of that immense good which he covets. Was he 
whose desires can be satisfied with nothing less than the knowledge 
and enjoyment of the infinite God himself, made only for this world ! 
Have I been created to long for a glory, greater than eye has ever seen 
in all the fields of nature, and brighter far than all its ten thousand 
voices have ever reported in my ear, for the purpose of dashing my 
hopes to the ground ? Is this a mode of action, such as I should expect 
from Him, who is at once unequalled in greatness, and boundless in 
mercy ? 

What to reason is strong conjecture, faith establishes with unerring 
certainty. Life and immortality are brought to light, with a clearness 
of evidence which scarcely admits of addition, in the Gospel of Jesus 
Christ. The Gospel assures us, that in the last day, "all who are in 
their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth; they that have done 
good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil unto 
the resurrection of damnation." " What," it asks with a thrilling 
emphasis, " what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and 
lose his own soul ? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his 
soul ? " 

No errors can be retrieved, no new character can be formed, when 
once we have passed the narrow boundary, which separates eternity 
from time. The first disclosures beyond the tomb, be they joyous or 
terrific, are but the pledge of all that are to follow. If I am welcomed 
to my Saviour's presence, it is that I may never depart ; — if I find my- 
self encompassed by fiends, it is that I may be their associate in guilt 
and misery forevermore. " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still ; 
and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still ; and he that is righteous, 
let him be righteous still ; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 

Our future and eternal state will depend on the character we form 
in this life. " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of God." The divine purpose here proclaimed, is irreversible. "For 
we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ ; that every one 
may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath 
done, whether it be good or bad." 

How brief is the term of human probation ! " The days of our 
years are three-score years and ten, and if by reason of strength they be 
four-score years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow ; for it is soon 



PREFACE. 

cut off, and we fly away." It has been thus for ages. The slumiDer- 
ers beneath the ground were short-lived, like ourselves. Seventy was 
the date of their old men. Their legislators, their heroes, their orators, 
their artists, their authors, achieved their greatest doings, and most of 
them were numbered with the dead, at an earlier age. How rarely do 
we find a survivor of those who lived a century ago, to tell us of his 
contemporaries! Not only the mounds of the dead, and their moss- 
grown tomb-stones, but the most enduring works of art they have left, 
preach to us of the shortness of man's journey from the cradle to the 
grave. Our most valuable books and improvements are, with few ex- 
ceptions, but the epitaph of those who lived before us. Of most of the 
volumes which compose my library, I know that the minds that pro- 
duced them have long since been gathered to the assembly of departed 
spirits ; and not a few of my valuable articles of furniture were formed 
by hands that now lie motionless in the dust. Standing on a narrow 
isthmus which, on each side, is continually sliding away to deceive the 
foot of him who seeks security upon it ,• how can I be reckless of conse- 
quences ? — how can I neglect the most earnest preparation for that 
shoreless ocean, on which I am soon to embark, and where, if I do not 
enjoy the kindliest breezes, and skies perpetually glowing with stars, 
I shall be eternally tossed by the fiercest tempests, and wrapped in the 
blackness of darkness forever ? 

Let the reader enter upon the perusal of this volume with great 
seriousness. However imperfect may be the manner of treating them, 
the subjects which it brings before him, are of everlasting importance. 
May it appear at last that some sinner has been reclaimed, some be- 
liever advanced in knowledge and holiness, by means of this little book, 
which the writer would now affectionately commend to the blessing of 
that God, who, while he pours contempt on the proudest productions 
of the human mind, can render so small a contribution to the cause of 
" Practical Religion," the means of adding to the happiness of the 
human family on earth, and awakening new songs of praise in heaven. 



CONTENTS. 



LETTER I. 
To the careless sinner, 13 

LETTER IL 
T the careless sinner, 21 

LETTER III. 
To the awakened sinner, 27 

LETTER IV. 
To a sinner who is apparently losing his anxiety for his salvation, 35 

LETTER V. 
To a sinner beginning to hope in the mercy of God. — Self-exami- 

ination, 43 

LETTER VI. 
To a young convert. — On the formation of devotional habits, . . 51 

LETTER VII. 
On the passive virtues of Christianity, 59 

LETTER VIII. 
On the proper manner of studying the doctrines of the Gospel, . 67 

LETTER IX. 
On the duty of making a public profession of religion, .... 75 

LETTER X. 
On doing good, 83 

LETTER XI. 
On the right use of property, ..93 

LETTER XII. 
On personal efforts for the salvation of sinners, 105 

LETTER XIII. 
On personal efforts for the salvation of sinners, 113 

LETTER XIV. 
On integrity, 122 



CONTENTS. 

LETTER XV. 

On the choice of a profession, 135 

LETTER XVI. 

Practical dependance on the Holy Spirit, 143 

LETTER XVII. 

On the love of popularity, 155 

LETTER XVIII. 

On Christian politeness, 169 

LETTER XIX. 

The duty of a Christian with respect to politics, 181 

LETTER XX. 

On the choice of a partner in conjugal life, 192 

LETTER XXI. 

To a Christian on his marriage, 204 

LETTER XXII. 

On trusting God for temporal provision, 214 

LETTER XXIIL 

On a Christian's duty to his minister, 226 

LETTER XXIV. 
To a Christian who contemplates a removal with his family into 

the new settlements, 238 

LETTER XXV. 

Consistency between the need of special grace in regeneration, and 

the call to immediate repentance, 246 

LETTER XXVI. 
To a Christian in a backsliding state, . 263 

LETTER XXVII. 
The duty of a Christian in a revival of religion, 274 

LETTER XXVIIL 
To a Christian on his recovery from sickness, 290 

LETTER XXIX. 
To a Christian in affliction, 297 

LETTER XXX. 
On old age, death, and a future state, 305 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



LETTER I. 

TO THE CARELESS SINNER. 

My dear Friend^ 

As we were riding together the other day on 
our way to G — , by the side of that beautiful copse, 
where the sound of the waterfall and the song of the bird 
conspired to allay every disquieting passion, and pre- 
pare the mind for " solemn musing," the thought of that 
life to come, where my warmest affections centre, rushed 
upon my soul with a sweetness and power which I can- 
not express. You may recollect, that I suddenly dropped 
my discourse ; perhaps, too, you noticed the silent tears 
which trickled down my cheeks. Then it was that I 
understood the apostle's meaning, when he said, " I am 
in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to 
be with Christ; which is farbettei";" and also, "We 
that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not 
that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mor- 
tality might be swalloAved up of life." If this lower 
creation, thought I, marred as it is by the sin of man, is 
invested with so much loveliness, what must be the 
attractions of that heaven of heavens, where God, my 
Saviour, unfolds all his glories to the ravished eyes of his 
saints? Thus I meditated — and I conversed in Httle 
else than monos341ables, till we came to the junction of 
two roads, where we were to separate. 

2 



14 PRA.CTICAL RELIGION. 

I was scarcely alone, before my thoughts were turned 
towards you. " By his own acknowledgment," said I, 
mentally, "my friend is yet unregenerate ; he seems to be 
insensible to his obligations, guilt and danger; he has no 
title to the happiness which 1 anticipate ; retaining his 
present character a little longer, he must everlastingly 
perish." I felt towards you such pity as I had never 
before known ; I severely upbraided myself for my want 
of faithfulness, in the interview with you which had just 
closed ; I confessed my sin ; I wept afresh before God ; it 
was my fervent desire and prayer for you, that you might 
be saved. With these feelings, I resolved in dependance 
on divine grace, that I would speedily write to you from 
the overflowing compassion of my heart. In comphance 
with the resolution so formed, I now take my pen ; I 
cannot but hope, that, while you do justice to my motives, 
you will yield to the voice of anxious friendship, on a 
subject involving your present welfare, and your eternal 
destiny. 

That there is a God, all-powerful, wise, just and good, 
you will not dispute ; or, should you call in question the 
existence of such a Being, your unbelief would be re- 
bxiked by myriads of voices, from every region of his 
works. That there can be no contrivance, without a 
designer — no effects, without a cause adequate to their 
production — areiirst principles, on which are based all 
the elements of our knowledge, and whence are derived 
all our motives to hope and fear, and the exertion of any 
of our faculties. He who denies these principles is a 
maniac, or a, hypocrite, to discourse with whom were as 
idle as to talk fluxions with a savage, or to hold argument 
with a tornado. The variety, the vastness, and the 
harmonious design of the creation, tell of attributes in 
the Framerand Goyernour, illimitable as immensity, and 



PRACTICALRELIGION. 15 

enduring as that eternity, which an inspired Theology- 
affirms to be his habitation. 



" These are thy glorious works, Parent of 

Almighty ! thine tl)is universal frame, 

Thus wondrous fair : thyself how wondrous then ! 

Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens. 

To us invisible, or dimly seen, 

In these thy lowest works ; yet these declare 

Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine." 

'' The heavens," cries the holy psalmist, '' declare the 
glory of God ; and the firmament showeth his handi- 
work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto 
night showeth knowledge." ^' Nevertheless," said Paul 
and Barnabas, to the inhabitants of Lystra, " he left not 
himself v/ithout witness, in that he did good, and gave 
us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filHng our 
hearts with food and gladness." The apostle, speaking 
of the heathen who are destitute of a written revelation, 
says, in Rom. i. 19, 20, " That which may be known of 
God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto 
them. For the invisible things of him from the creation 
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the 
things that are made, even his eternal power and God- 
head ; so that they are without excuse." 

To this great and venerable Being, you owe your 
supreme love and allegiance. His intrinsic worthiness 
is infinite ; and the relations towards you which he sus- 
tains, are of the most tender and sacred character. He 
is your Creator ; and may he not justly claim the grateful 
services of his own creatures ? He is your constant 
Preserver, Benefactor and Father ; and what must be 
your guilt, if you can requite his unwearied kindness 
with indifference to his will and glory ? His goodness 
breathes all around you— from the hills and the valleys. 



16 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

from the ground you tread upon, and from the blue ex- 
panse over your head ; in the whispering breeze, and in 
the majestic roar of the t;mpest ; his food sustains your 
frame ; his air heaves your lungs ; his heat and his 
showers refresh you : and his eye that runs to and fro 
in the earth, and never sleeps, watches over you in your 
midnight slumbers. Every moment, from the earliest 
dawn of your being until now, has come to you, laden 
with unnumbered blessings ; and while your eye is 
passing over these lines, all your hmbs, and organs, and 
faculties, and enjoyments, unitedly bear testimony to his 
long-suffering, ceaseless care, and boundless liberahty. 

That Bible which lies, or ought to lie by your side, is 
his gift, bearing on every page the impress of its divine 
origin. By what miracles has it been attested ! How 
wonderful has been the fulfilment of its prophecies, 
forming a concatenation of strange events, which none 
but the Infinite Mind could have foreseen or con- 
jectured ! The wastes of Ninevah, Babylon and Tyre ; 
the rains of Judea, Greece and Rome ; all times past, 
and present time, are the vouchers to its truth and 
authority. What are all other books which have phi- 
losophized on religion, or claimed inspiration ; the reve- 
ries of Plato, the speculations of Tully, the Vedas, the 
Shasters. the Koran — to that volume, written by Jewish 
prophets, tentmakers and fishermen — the holy Scriptures? 
What purity, what simplicity, what wisdom, what gen- 
tleness, what benignity, what majesty, what unity of 
purpose, what unearthly harmony, distinguish that peer- 
less volume — proving to every unprejudiced mind that 
its Author is the same Being who formed the human 
soul, and drew the plan of the universe ! 

This book reveals a law in every respect holy, just 
and good ; extending no less to the thoughts and affec- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 17 

tions than to the overt acts ; and guarding by proper 
sanctions, the rights and interests of all beings. That 
law you have broken, deliberately, constantly, without 
any provocation ; and you are of course exposed to the 
infliction of all its threatened plagues. 

Are you not conscious of your rebelHon ? The law 
requires you to love God with all the heart ; have you 
in this manner loved the greatest and best of beings? 
'What are those objects which you have most highly 
valued, and which you have pursued with the most in- 
tense eagerness ? 

Compare, I beseech you, the tenor of your life with 
the requisitions of the decalogue, especially as they are 
explained by our great Teacher in his sermon on the 
Mount ; where the secret desire of what is forbidden is 
declared to be sin. By laying his interdict on the incip- 
ient movements of impure inclination, Jesus obviously 
designed to teach us that all the prohibitions of the law 
extend to the inner man, in the very commencement of 
its tendencies to disobedience. Thus, as one observes, 
the Saviour evinced a profounder knowledge of human 
nature than Socrates, who comparatively overlooked, in 
his rules of virtue, the necessity of that internal prin- 
ciple which gives it birth. It has been the common 
fault of uninspired moralists to aim at lopping off the 
branches, instead of killing the root of depravity, in the 
fruitful soil of the heart. 

It was a discovery of the spiritual character of the 
moral inculcations of the ' law, which destroyed the 
Pharisaic conceit and self-righteous hopes of Saul of 
Tarsus, " I had not known sin but by the law : for I 
had not known lust, except the law had said. Thou 
shalt not covet. For I was alive without the law," or 
without a knowledge of its spirituahty, '' once ; but 

2* 



18 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

when the commandment came, sin revived and I 
died." 

What, my dear friend, have you done ? Scrutinize 
your motives, as well in your most specious actions ag 
in those instances of your conduct which have been 
most manifestly sinful ; and will you not be compelled 
to acknowledge, that you have been a transgressor from 
the beginning of your existence ? Has not selfishness, 
in some of its forms, been the governing disposition of 
your life ? Have you ever acted from supreme love to 
God, and respect for his glory? What then, when 
judged by that unerring standard, the divine law, how- 
ever useful they may be in the present life, are your ap- 
parent amiableness, your temperate habits, your social 
affections, your boasted integrity, and your generosity, but 
the exterior decorations of a sepulchre— the gilding and 
ornaments of a coffin, hiding deformity and putrefaction ] 
You remember the story of him, whose boast it was, 
" All these things have I kept from my youth up ; " who 
nevertheless went away sorrowful, from the Saviour, 
and, for aught we know to the contrary, perished at last 
an incorrigible enemy of holiness and of God. 

However unwilling you may be to submit to the 
searching scrutiny of the law, and own yourself a rebel, 
He who knows your heart has decided that you, in com- 
mon with the rest of your species, previously to regene- 
ration, are destitute of holy affections, and dead in tres- 
passes and sins ; " God saw that the wickedness of man 
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of 
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continualJy." 
Almost every word in this awful description of the 
human character, is emphatical. Man, meaning the 
whole race, is the subject of whom all this is affirmed. 
His hearty the spring of all his moral actions, is evil; 



PRACTICALRELIGION. 19 

it is only evil ; all its thoughts^ all the imaginations, 
the first Jigmefits of its thoughts are evil ; and they 
are evil continually. Will you say, that this delinea- 
tion had reference to antediluvian sinners only ; and has, 
therefore, no applicability to you ? On what principle 
will you attempt thus to evade the charge, which your 
Maker has preferred against the whole human family ? 
Is man an essentially different being now from what he 
was before the flood ? Hear then the testimony of the 
psalmist, " The Lord looked down from heaven upon the 
children of men, to see if there were an}^ that did under- 
stand and seek God : they are all gone aside ; they are 
all together become filthy : there is none that doeth 
good, no, not one." This dark picture is exhibited by the 
apostle, in the third chapter of Romans, as a graphic 
representation of the human heart, in all ages and in all 
places. 

The Bible declares that the moral corruption of man 
commences with his being : '• Behold," says David, 
speaking by inspiration, " I was shapen in iniquity, and 
in sin did my mother conceive me;" and Paul tells 
Christians that they '• were by nature children of wrath, 
even as others." 

It is most certain then — I should contradict the word 
of God were I to say otherwise — that you, my dear 
friend, so long as you continue impenitent, are utterly 
estranged from Him, '' in whose hand your breath is, 
and whose are all your ways." Pause, I conjure you, 
and seriously ponder your character and situation. Is 
it a light thing to be utterly disobedient in spirit to the 
glorious God, whose service is the perfection of freedom, 
and the supreme joy of all holy creatures in all worlds ? 
How can you carelessly trample under foot his authority 
and the overtures of his love, for one moment ? 



20 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

God willing, I will soon write to you again. O that 
the Spirit of truth and power would convince you of 
sin, righteousness and judgment, and bring you a weep- 
ing, yet happy penitent, to the feet of Jesus. 
Yours affectionately, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER 11. 

TO THE CARELESS SINNER. 

My dear Friend, 

Do you think me unkind because I charge you 
with utter moral depravity and rebeUion against God ? I 
speak in love ; I am also covered with conscious shame 
when I reflect, that in portraying your natural charac- 
ter, 1 am describing my own. If I am not to this day 
an enemy of my Maker, I ascribe my conversion to no 
inherent goodness in myself, but wholly to the power 
and boundless liberality of his grace. To him be all 
the glory forever. 

You will, 1 trust, pardon my "great plainness of 
speech," when you recollect the importance of the inter- 
ests at stake — the worth of your soul, its peril, and my 
tender solicitude for your eternal well-being. You will 
not doubt m}^ sincerity when 1 tell you, that could it be 
of any avail, I would most gladly throw myself at your 
feet, and beg you, as if I were pleading for my own life, 
to consider your ways, and not precipitate yourself into 
everlasting burnings. 

What more shall I say? I have already reminded 
you of your countless temporal mercies, of which each is 
a tender monitor for the God who made you. There 
are mercies of far greater value, without which all the 
common bounties of Providence would only serve to in- 
sure to you a more insupportable doom. What, but for 
the interposition of a Redeemer, had been your condi- 
tion ? You have the answer in the threatenings of the 
law, and in the melancholy history of " the angels who 



22 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation," 
whom the Most High "hath reserved in everlasting 
chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great 
day." The giving of an almighty Saviour to become 
man, and make an atonement for human guilt, was 
such an act of marvellous love as the universe never be- 
fore saw. It is the great theme of the Church below, 
and the all-inspiring subject of the heavenly world. 
Does not your heart dissolve in penitence and thankful- 
ness, as you think of so rich a donation provided for you, 
a rebel and a wretch, who have ten thousand thousand 
times forfeited all the kind regards of your God ? Let 
this subject fix your attention. 

" See from his hands, his head, his feet, 

Sorrow and love flow mingled down ; 
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 

Or thorns compose so rich a crown ? " 

The earth quakes, the rocks rend, all nature is array- 
ed in mourning when Immanuel dies — dies for ^ou. 
Through his blood, the offers of gratuitous pardon, and 
of eternal life, are made to a revolted world ; and the 
most solemn, moving, melting considerations are set be- 
fore men to induce them to accept the provisions of the 
Gospel and be happy. Here is food for the hungry soul, 
clothing for the naked, medicine for the diseased, and a 
Father's house for the friendless and lost. How have 
you treated these invitations, emanating from the very 
heart of your injured God? Have you not coldly, obsti- 
nately, turned your back on all the Redeemer's calls, 
warnings, expostulations, entreaties? What instructions 
from parents, from teachers, from pious friends, have 
you disregarded ? How many sermons have you heard 
to no good purpose ? How many Sabbaths, how many 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



23 



opportunities of social worship during the week, have 
you worse than wasted ? Alas ! sir, how have you em- 
ployed yourself in your closet, where you should have 
confessed your sins with deep contrition, and earnestly, 
daily, communed with '' your Father who seeth in se- 
cret ? '' At times, too, the Holy Spirit has moved upon 
your conscience, like a mighty wind upon the surface of 
the deep ; but where are your compunctions, your fears, 
your resolutions now? One would think that you 
reckoned it a praiseworthy achievement to steel yotir 
bosom against the arrows of the Almighty's quiver, and 
defy his vengeance. 1 tremble when I reflect on your 
guilty course ; I feel constrained to ask, " Can there be 
hope for so great a sinner ? " Do the Scriptures answer, 
" Yes !" The assurance inconceivably aggravates the 
baseness and ill desert of the creature who can persist in 
slighting the authority, and provoking the wrath of so 
merciful a God. What a heart must that be which 
can take occasion from the very depth and potency of 
the divine tenderness to si a the more ! Observe the con- 
trast: " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no plea- 
sure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked 
turn from his way and hve : turn ye, turn ye from your 
evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel ? " Hear 
now the language of sinners : ^' What a weariness 
is it; depart from us, O Lord, for we desire not the 
knowledge of thy ways."' 

You see how God has treated you, and how you have 
treated him. And shall it be always thus? God of 
grace, touch the sinner's heart ; smite the rock, and the 
waters shall flow. Without the exertion of thy resistless 
power, men and angels may strive to overcome his ob- 
stinate rebellion, but it will be all in vain. But if thou 
afford thine aid, the feeblest exhortation of a worm of 



24 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

the dust will prove sufficient to vanquish the resistance 
of thy stoutest foe. 

In the name of God I beseech you to harden yourself 
against him no more. Is he not worthy of your obe- 
dience ? And can your heart endure, and your hands be 
strong in the day when he shall deal with you? He is 
mighty to punish, as well as to deliver. Will you not 
fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in 
hell? Will you not fear him, who will by no means clear 
the impenitently guilty ? Hear his own words, and re- 
member that God is not a man that he should lie, nor 
the son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said, 
and shall he not do it ? — hath he spoken, and shall he 
not make it good? " The wicked shall be turned into 
hell, and all the nations that forget God." — " Upon 
the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and 
an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their 
cup." — " These shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment." — " Where their worm dieth not, and their fire is 
not quenched." — " And again they said Alleluia, and her 
smoke rose up forever and ever." — " Except ye repent, 
ye shall all likewise perish." Shall these thunders of 
the wrath of God pass by you like the idle wind which 
you regard not? Shall Sinai roar, and even Mount 
Zion cry, " Cursed is the unbelieving sinner," and will 
you stop your ears, and fold your ai ms, and coolly say, 
" I shall have peace, though I walk after the imagina- 
tion of my heart?" Be assured, God does not mock 
you with unmeaning words. What possible motive can 
he have to deceive you ? It is indubitably certain that 
you must be converted, or know, by bitter experionce, all 
that is intended by the dreadful words, the second deaths 
the damnation of hell, everlasting destruction, from 
the 'presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 25 

The justice, the truth, the hoUness of God requires it. O 
that you were wise, that you understood this, that you 
would consider your latter end. 

Why should you hesitate? Providence and Scripture 
united, press you to an immediate decision. " Behold, 
now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of sal- 
vation." 

"Be wise to-day ; 'tis madness to defer: — 
Next day the fatal precedent will plead : 
Thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life. 

Procrastination is the thief of time ; 
Year after year it steals, till ail are fled, 
And to the mercies of a moment leaves 
The vast concerns of an eternal scene. 

Time destroy'd 
Is suicide, where more than blood is spilt. 

Throw years away ! 
Throw empires, and be blameless : — Moments seize — 
Heaven 's on their wing ! a moment we may wish, 
When worlds want weali.h to buy." 

What multitudes have regretted, when all lamenta- 
tions were unavaihng-, the waste of precious time. 
When the morning sun rises, you know not but it may 
be rising the last time for you. When it sinks behind 
the western hills, you know not but the mists of death 
will have settled upon you before the dawn of another 
day. You walk over the grave on a brittle covering, 
and your next step may break the slender texture. 
Death, in ambush, may already have bent his bow, and 
aimed his unseen arrow at your bosom. Sinners are 
generally summoned hence at an unexpected moment. 
^' When they cry. Peace and safety, then sudden destruc- 
tion cometh upon them." — He that being often reproved, 
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and 
that without remedy." — "How are they brought into 
desolation, as in a moment ; they are utterly consumed 

3 



26 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh, so, O 
Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image." 
What do you resolve to do ? If you defer repentance 
now, is it not probable that you will continue to defer 
this necessary work till the last sands of your life shall 
have run out, and death have set its seal upon you, a 
reprobate sinner 7 Your time is on the wing". The 
flight of each moment leaves you the more guilty, the 
more hardened, and diminishes the narrow space be- 
tween you and the tomb. Up, and be doing. Enter 
in at the strait gate. Now turn to God, and you shall 
find mercy. But who can give you any assurance, with 
respect to the future ? While you are beginning to say, 
'' A httle more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more 
folding of the hands to sleep," your last mortal pangs 
may choke your utterance. To refuse obedience to the 
Gospel now may be but saying, in other words, " Fare- 
well, Christ and glory; welcome, devils, shame, and 
everlasting despair." 

From your soul's well-wisher, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER III. 

TO THE AWAKENED SINNER. 

My dear Priend, 

With no ordinary emotions, I learned from 
your letter of yesterday, that your slumber of false secu- 
rity had been broken, and that you were beginning to 
propose that most important of all inquiries, " What 
must 1 do to be saved ? " It is the Spirit of God, what- 
ever means and instruments may have been used, who 
has opened your eyes, given to your conscience its voice 
of solemn reproof, and summoned your trembhng soul to 
the contemplation of scenes which are invisible and 
eternal. This fact calls for your gratitude, on the one 
hand, because it assures you that you are not yet entirely 
abandoned of God, and for your anxious solicitude on 
the other, lest this season of merciful visitation should 
be neglected, to the unspeakable aggravation of your 
guilt, and the greatly increased probability of your eter- 
nal ruin. I once heard a pious clergyman observe, that 
a single anxious thought, produced by the Holy Ghost, 
was of greater worth than the whole world ; nor to him 
who estimates events according to their relation to an 
undying existence, will the remark appear extravagant. 
The present is, with you, a most critical period of your 
being. The Spirit may be striving with you by his 
convincing influences, for the last time, and if you resist 
his agency now, it is very possible, that your next sea- 
son of conviction may be either on a death-bed, or in the 
world of despair. God has said, " My Spirit shall not 



28 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

always strive with man." Read also Nehemiah, ix. 
30. Ps.lxxxi. 11, 12. Prov. i. 24, 28. Hos. iv. 17- 
Is. Ixiii. 30. Acts, vii. 42. Rom. i. 26. 11. Thess. ii. 
11. The case of J, B. may well alarm you. Much as 
he now ridicules serious religion, and hates its professors, 
he had once so great anxiety for his salvation, that it was 
depicted in his very countenance, and became the sub- 
ject of general conversation through the neighbourhood. 
In tones of agony, he, on one occasion, called his minister 
from his bed at midnight, to pray for him an undone 
sinner, sinking into perdition. 

You ask for my advice. I will give it briefly ; and may 
God of his infinite mercy, cause you to lay to heart every 
important truth which I may suggest, and coimteract, 
by his grace, the injurious influence of any imperfection 
in my matter or manner. 

Trust to no outward rites, no forms, no resolutions, no 
prayers, no doings of your own whatever. Your heart 
is wholly corrupt ; and the change you need is, there- 
fore, an internal, an essential change. Remember 
the words of Jesus to Nicodemus : " Except a man be 
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Till 
you are broken off from all dependance upon yourself, you 
will continue to hug your sins, and reject the proffered 
salvation of the Gospel. 

Let the greatness of your danger suitably affect you. 
Deeply realize, that, living in impenitence, you are an 
enemy of the blessed God, a child of Satan, an heir 
of wrath, constantly liable to the stroke of avenging 
justice ; and that you have no divine promise to secure 
you, even for a moment. There is great clanger that 
you will, by your delay, provoke the Holy Spirit to with- 
draw his awakening influences, leaving you to neglect 
your eternal interests, and sink into utter stupidity ; so 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 29 

that your last state will be worse than your first. You 
will be continually tempted too, by your own heart, and 
by the suggestions of your enemy, the devil, (if you do 
not formally resolve to treat religion as a fable.) to mis- 
take delusion for truth, and the shadow of a spurious 
Christianity for substantial piety. The stony-ground 
hearers, in the parable, received the word with joy ; but 
their joy had no "root" in the holy views, affections^ 
and purposes of a broken and contrite heart. The reli- 
gion we naturally prefer is one that exalts ourselves, and 
leaves unmortified our love of sin, our dominant pro- 
pensity to self-righteousness, and our pride of self-depen- 
dance. 

A false hope of heaven may be produced by formal- 
ity ; by erroneous conceptions of the nature of God ; 
by substituting conviction for conversion, stupididity for 
resignation, a selfish resolution for a holy purpose ; by a 
sudden transition from sorrow to joy, through the agen- 
cy of the nerves ; by the inexplicable occurrence of texts 
to the mind ; by lights, voices, dreams ; or by any other 
mode of enthusiastic impulse, or impressions on the ima- 
gination. The eloquence of a preacher, the stillness or 
sobs of an inquiry meeting, or the exhilarating notes of 
the sacred choir, may so agitate the soul, in certain 
states of feeling, as to leave it scarcely capable of discri- 
mination, and expose it pecuharly to mistake powerful 
animal emotion for the transfer of the moral affections 
from the creature to God. The enemy of all good is as 
well pleased with a heartless, selfish religion, as with 
open profligacy and profaneness ; and he knows that 
he has this advantage in all his endeavours to beguile 
sinners, that the delusions he would propagate are per- 
fectly agreeable to their moral taste. Be assured, you 
must love the Most High for those very excellencies, 

3* 



30 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

which now excite your strongest aversion, or you cannot 
be prepared to enjoy his friendship in this world, or be- 
hold his face in peace, amidst the wonders of his heavenly 
kingdom 

Weigh well the solemn truth that you deserve to 
suffer the pains of sudden death. This is the punish- 
ment threatened to disobedience, the horrors of which 
millions have already begun to feel in the prison-house of 
their retribution. It is the penalty annexed to every in- 
stance of transgression ; for the law knows no pardon. 
You must admit that this penalty is righteous ; or boldly 
affirm, that the God by whom it was threatened, is un- 
just. But if God can be just in punishing the smallest 
sin, by the infliction of eternal plagues on the offender, 
how glorious must he be in executing his wrath on such 
a creature as you are, who have been breaking his law, 
rejecting his Son, and abusing his grace all your days? 
If you do not cordially approve of his justice in your 
condemnation, you cannot surely be prepared to wel- 
come a Saviour, who came to deliver his people, — 
not from the wrath of a vindictive tyrant, — but from 
merited perdition, and whose zeal for the honour of the 
Lawgiver was as unrivalled as his pity for sinners. 

Instead of quarreUing with the sovereignty of God, 
acknowledge his right to dispense his favours as he 
pleases. This is a point at which the enmity of the hu- 
man heart is exceedingly exasperated. Sinners, who 
are convinced of their danger, are often offended when 
toldj that, after all their seriousness and their efforts, God 
may justly leave them to persevere in their own chosen 
way of rebellion, while he rescues others, no less guilty 
and stubborn, by an immediate act of his power. Such 
complaints originate from inattention to God's reasonable 
claims, and insensibility to the intense opposition of the 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 31 

sinner to the revealed method of salvation. The sove- 
reignty of Jehovah is a benevolent sovereignty ; for it is 
always exercised with a proper regard to the welfare of 
each individual, whether he be saved or lost, and with 
supreme reference to his own real glory ^ and the high- 
est good of his great moral kingdom. It is your own 
perverseness, and that only, which renders necessary the 
exertion of his distinguishing, effectual grace. He must 
act as a Sovereign, in changing your heart, or it will 
never be changed; and you will force your passage, 
against all his warnings and invitations, to eternal wo. 
And suppose he permit you to go on in sin, till you eat 
the fruit of your own way, and are filled with your ow^n 
devices ; will your punishment be any the less just, be- 
cause he is pleased, in the adorable riches of his goodness, 
to have mercy on your fellow-sinners ? ^Vo complain of 
his sovereignty is virtually to find fault with his law ; for 
if God may justly punish sin, he may, without doubt, 
justly deny to such as have sinned, those special influ- 
ences of his Spirit, without which they will voluntarily re- 
sist all his external calls, and plunge themselves into 
everlasting torments. Instead, then, of charging your 
Maker with folly, because he has mercy on whom he 
will have mercy, adore the boundless depths of his li- 
berality, that, obstinate as you are, there is hope even for 
you. in the supremacy of his dominion, and the omnipo- 
tence of his arm. Fly, despairing of salvation from your 
own resources, to his rich and sovereign grace ; and re- 
joice that you are permitted to lie in the hands of One 
whose mercy is self-moved, and can rise above the 
greatest demerits of his creatures. Do you not know, 
that, with all your tears and struggles, you have nothing 
of the spirit of obedience ; that your prayers are all self- 
ish, and offered in connexion with a stubborn resistance 



32 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

of his calls ; and that, in proportion to the light which you 
enjoy, the aggravations of your impenitence and unbe- 
lief are increased ? 

Yet do not speak of your inability to comply with the 
terras of the Gospel, as an excuse. You cannot indeed^ 
in any sense, make an atonement for your sins ; nor is 
this necessary ; the work has been accompUshed by 
Jesus Christ ; and all you have to do, is to accept that 
free salvation which has been procured by his hfe of 
obedience and sufferings, and his death of agony. God 
has sent numerous messengers, and used a great variety 
of means to persuade you to comply with his proposals 
of mercy. Observe the language of the apostle, " All 
things are of God, who hath, reconciled us to himself by 
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of recon- 
ciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the 
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto 
them ; and hath committed unto us the word of recon- 
ciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as 
though God did beseech you by us ; we pray you, in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." In this passage 
you perceive, that God is represented as beseeching^ and 
Christ as praying you, to lay aside your enmity to your 
rightful Lord, and secure your salvation. Whose fault 
is it, then, that you are yet in your sins ? 

By the atonement, all obstacles to your repentance 
and happiness are removed: except those which are 
within 5^ourself ; and the internal difficulties are not in- 
tellectual or physical^ but wholly of a moral kind. 
This truth is manifest from the causes to which your 
unbelief is ascribed in the sacred volume. These are 
pride, the love of the world, and positive aversion of 
heart. If you doubt this statement, open your Bible, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 33 

and read with candor and self-application, John iii. 19, 
21 : V. 40, 44 : vi. 26. 2 Cor. viii. 12. 1 John ii. 15. 
With infinite propriety then, God calls upon you, in 
the most earnest manner, to turn to him without delay. 
" Repent, so iniquity shall not be your ruin." — " BeKeve 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.-' To 
defer obedience another moment, what is that, but to 
justify yourself in rebellion, to harden yourself against 
the Almighty, and to defy his vengeance still longer ? 
Do you say, "1 cannot obey?" "Out of thine own 
mouth, thou shalt be condemned." What ! cannot do 
the most reasonable' thing in the world! cannot love 
infinite excellence ! cannot abhor yourself for having 
treated it with neglect and scorn ! cannot throw your- 
self at the feet of an injured Father ! cannot trust in a 
divine Saviour, who poured out his heart's blood to re- 
deem you ! Do you need a little more time to consider 
the matter? Had you not the heart of a fiend, — dear 
friend, I must be faithful to you — that heart would melt, 
melt immediately, and flow out wholly in streams of 
penitential sorrow. You have not taken one step to- 
wards God ; but ail that has been done for your sinful 
soul, has been done by him ; he sent his Son ; he pro- 
posed terms of pardon ; he has given you the means of 
grace ; he has awakened you, he stands with out- 
stretched arms to receive you. Hear the soft whispers 
of his pitiful kindness : " Why will ye die ? " And now 
do you complain because he does no more ? — because he 
does not at once exert his Almighty power to conquer 
you ? What ! are you not in reality opposing him to 
the utmost extent of your ability ? How unreasonable 
is the demand you make ! How wicked ! How insin- 
cere ! He is ready, but you are not ready. He stoops 
to woo you, and you spurn the overtures of his love. 



34 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

And must he do more ? Are you so bent on perdition 
that he miist.^ or you will force yourself as from beneath 
the very droppings of Immanuel's blood, into quenchless 
flames ? O most compassionate God ! save thine ene- 
my who is so infatuated, so perverse. Thou hast done 
great things for his soul ; add to all thy wonders, the 
manifestation of that quickening energy, by which the 
spiritually dead are made to live. 

Notwithstanding your entire dependance, you know, 
my dying fellow-creature, that you have all the powers 
of a free, moral agent. That you have these powers, 
with whatever metaphysical subtleties you may attempt 
to perplex the subject, is a matter of consciousness ; and 
all the commands, invitations and threatenings, of the 
Gospel imply that you possess them. Will you use 
your Uberty aright ? I leave with you the message of 
God, I can do no more. Will you yield to his urgent 
importunity ? Will you yield now 7 '• Return unto 
me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord." — " Let 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his 
thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and he 
will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will 
abundantly pardon." 

Yours affectionately, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER IV. 

TO A SINNER WHO IS APPARENTLY LOSING HIS 
ANXIETY FOR HIS SALVATION. 

My Dear Friend^ 

I had hoped ere this, to have heard that, sub- 
mitting to the terms of the Gospel, you had found peace 
and salvation in Jesus Christ. As I observed the big 
tear standing in your eye, and your whole frame trem- 
bling with apprehension, while the confession of your 
past guilty course fell from your lips, and you passion- 
ately asked, " Is it possible that one so vile can find 
mercy ? " I not only recognized and adored the hand of 
God, but I fancied that I saw the clouds which had 
gathered over you, passing away, and the beams of the 
the sun of righteousness about to shed their full radiance 
on that brow of yours, so long shrouded in sadness. 
Alas ! that I, that your minister, that your pious rela- 
tives, should have been so disappointed! My heart 
almost sinks within me, when I think of your relapse 
into comparative stupidity. Could I convey to your 
bosom, though in some small degree, the feelings which 
distress my own, it would be impossible for you to find 
rest till you should obtain it in Jesus Christ. 

I cannot refrain from giving you one more warning, 
while there is hope ; and my earnest prayer is, that He, 
whose prerogative it is to convince the world of sin, of 
righteousness, and of judgment, would apply to your con- 
science those words of truth and soberness which I am 
now to write, and which are dictated by a sincere re- 
gard to your eternal welfare. 



36 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

The light against which you have sinned, is pecuUarly 
great. You have seen your obhgations, your guilt, your 
danger ; and fear has come upon you. The law has 
been made to flash its terrors into your soul ; you have 
seen something of its awful purity and strictness ; you 
have beheld, as it were, the gates of heaven thrown open^ 
and have caught glimpses of its glory, and have heard 
voices from within, urging you to enter and be blessed. 
And was it not the Spirit of God^ who thus iUuminated 
your mind, and forced upon your attention the duty and 
necessity of an immediate surrender to the claims of in- 
finite love? If it is unspeakably criminal to refuse 
obedience to God under common circumstances, what 
must be the stubbornness of resistance and the guilt 
which are involved in a refusal under circumstances hke 
these 1 Is any hardness of heart equal to that, w^hich 
can withstand the clearest light of conviction, as well as 
the most impressive external calls ? The principle to 
which 1 refer, is most unequivocally taught in the Scrip- 
tures. What less can be implied in the language of the 
Saviour, concerning the doom of those cities in which 
most of his mighty works were done, compared with 
that of Tyre, Sidon, and the wretched inhabitants of 
Sodom and Gomorrah ? What less, in those sacred 
aphorisms, uttered by him, who is the truth itself? 
" He that knew his Lord's will, and did it not, was 
beaten with many stripes." — "Where much is given, 
much will be required." These maxims of the divine 
kingdom commend themselves at once to every impartial 
mind. But how awful is their application to you ! The 
Holy Ghost has come to you ; has knocked loudly at 
your door ; has spoken to you with the compassion and 
authority of a God, requiring you to admit him into 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 37 

your heart, and you have dared to stop your ears, and 
say, '• Go thy way for this time." 

The ingratitude of your conduct surpasses in magni- 
tude the utmost stretch of the human mind. No illus- 
tration is adequate ; yet I will attempt to give you one 
which may aid you, in some imperfect degree, to appre- 
ciate the guilt which you have incurred. Suppose some 
venerable earthly friend — a parent, for example, of great 
dignity and excellence — seeing a rebellious and worth- 
less child loaded with debts which he could not dis- 
charge, imprisoned, sunk in the deepest wretchedness, 
abandoned by all to perish in infamy — should come 
forth, in all the yearnings of his paternal heart, to de- 
liver and raise to happiness the incarcerated, lost prodi- 
gal. The means which he employs are honourable 
alike to his compassion and to his wisdom. Liberty 
would be useless to the wayward youth, so long as he 
should continue to be enslaved to his vices, for it would 
but multiply his facilities of sinful indulgence, and ren- 
der him the more wretched and infamous. Knowing 
this, the aged father himself visits the cell of the prisoner, 
and beseeches him to reflect seriously on what he has 
done, to repent, and to sue for pardon. " I will pay your 
debts," cries the generous old man ; ^' I will engage the 
favour of the government in your behalf; I will array 
you in clean garments ; I will provide for you as if you 
had never transgressed ; on the simple condition, that 
you acknowledge your offences, and purpose heartily to 
reform. You will be undone if you persist in cherishing 
your present habits. I cannot make you happy, I can- 
not release you from yourMungeon, so long as you re- 
main in servitude to your passions. I pray you. there- 
fore, by your own misery, and by the love I bear you, to 
become a new man." The son turns away his head — 

4 



38 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

he lets fall a few tears — he utters a few half-stifled sighs 
— he wonders that he should suffer so much — but that 
is all — he is still intent on those low gratifications which 
have. been his ruin. The father becomes more earnest. 
He multiplies arguments, expostulations, appeals to the 
conscience, tender entreaties — but all to no purpose. The 
son loses his patience. Forgetting all the kindness he 
has ever received — unaffected by all the kindness now 
proffered, he, hardened man ! attempts to divert himself 
with toys, or to drown his father's voice by merry songs 
and loud peals of laughter. At length he exclaims, 
" Father, no more — begone— as for that repentance of 
which you speak, I hate the very thought." Thus, and 
far more basely, have you requited the love of the Holy 
Spirit, pleading with you that you would turn from your 
evil ways and be blest. 

By resisting the Spirit, you make it apparent that you 
deliberately prefer this world to God. Look at the two 
objects, and blush at your guilty choice. The world is 
transient and dying ; God is the same forever. The 
world is a shadow ; he is the substance of all greatness 
and glory. The world is sure to disappoint its votaries ; 
God is the all-sufficient good, the all-satisfying portion 
of the soul. 

You prefer selfishness to holiness, the joys of sin to 
those which are pure, spiritual and eternal. You take 
the shell, and throw away the kernel ; you gather the 
chaff, and lose the wheat ; you save the alloy, and cast 
the precious metal into the street, to be trodden under 
foot of men. Wretched being that you are ! a beggar 
were not half so foolish, who should prefer the filthy 
crumbs of the sty to a sumptuous table, his rags to a 
regal robe, and his dunghill to a palace and a throne. 

Your continued impenitence, and partial return to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 39 

stupidity, have done much to discourage those friends of 
Zion, whose sympathies were once most powerfully ex- 
cited in your behalf, and who prayed most earnestly for 
your salvation. Your impenitent companions, who, 
when they witnessed your deep anxiety, seemed almost 
persuaded to be Christians, are now congratulating them- 
selves with the hope that you will not desert their ranks, 
and take new courage, from your example, to resist the 
Saviour and his grace. For the blood of how many 
souls you have made yourself answerable, by living in 
sin until now, will never be known until the Lord shall 
bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make 
manifest the counsels of every heart. You give occa- 
sion to the triumph of infidels, who boastingly say, 
"Ah, we always knew that those religious impressions, 
on which so much stress is laid by fanatics, had their 
origin in nervous irritabihty, or a morbid state of the 
mind, and would be likely to pass off on the return of 
health and sound sense. That man's course confirms 
our theory. The feelings which begin in religious en- 
thusiasm, will leave no lasting and beneficial change in 
the character." The errors, the delusions, the mischiefs 
you help to propagate, are incalculable ; while you are 
blocking up the avenues of hope against yourself, and 
accumulating treasures of wrath for the day of wrath. 

Do consider whither your path is tending, and the 
perpetually multiplying perils with which it is beset. 

God's patience may be soon exhausted. The Son of 
man often comes to sinners as a thief in the night. Do 
you not fear, lest he should swear in his wrath that you 
shall never enter into his rest ? 

Though death do not immediately overtake you, yet 
you may suffer the misery of spiritual abandonment, 
and walk among the living with the mark of reproba- 



40 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

tion on your forehead. The Most High has not bound 
hhnself by promise, or in any other way, to strive with 
you by his Spirit, another day, hour, or moment. " Israel 
would none of me; and so I gave them up to their own 
hearts' lust." Instances of this kind are, I fear, not un- 
common. 

A few years ago, Agrarius, who had rendered him- 
self infamous by his dishonesty, profaneness, violence of 
temper, and manifold vices of the most degrading char- 
acter, died with the disease called delirium tremens^ 
leaving a widow and her only son, whose property the 
wretch had wasted in idleness and the lowest sensuality. 
He possessed at one time considerable wealth ; and then 
he made himself dreaded and hated by all the poor in 
his neighbourhood. At his death, society for miles 
around felt itself relieved of a burden. The histor}^ of 
this unhappy man is replete with instruction and warn- 
ing. He belonged to a religious family, and early in 
life was awakened to reflection on his lost condition. 
During a revival of religion, he was numbered with 
anxious inquirers, and at length professed to have found 
peace in believing. Ii soon appeared, however, that his 
goodness was transient as the morning cloud and the 
early dew; he began to mingle with the thoughtless and 
dissipated, to neglect the sanctuary and the meeting 
for prayer ; till, proceeding from one step of wickedness 
to another, he was led to avow the most dangerous reli- 
gious opinions, and openly to assume the language and 
manners of the scoffer and libertine. His brethren 
pitied, prayed for, and admonished him ; but he was too 
hardened to be reclaimed by their kindness. A process 
of discipline was commenced against him ; he was ar- 
raigned, tried, convicted, and ultimately excommunicat- 
ed ; but he seemed to have lost all sense of shame, all 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 4l 

respect for the feelings of his friends, all dread of the eter- 
nal displeasure of God, whom he had insulted and dis- 
honoured. So he hved for a few years, and then died, 
making no sign of repentance. A simple grave-stone 
marks the spot where his poor body was laid ; for even 
Agrarius left friends who tenderly cherished his memory, 
while they were disposed to bury in oblivion his follies 
and his crimes. But where, think you. is the immortal 
soul of Agrarius ? Let his example serve as a beacon. 
Are you in no danger of a similar doom ? Beheve it, 
the rocks and shoals of perdition are near you ; the 
waves rise high, and fierce winds are driving you on to 
the fatal spot, where miUions have been wrecked and 
lost. Heard you not the loud lamentations of those who 
were sinking in the floods? O my friend, it is truly a 
fearful thing to grieve the Spirit of God. 

There i^, you know, a sin against the Holy Ghost, 
which can never be forgiven ; and no persons, I pre- 
sume, are in greater danger of committing it than they 
whom he has awakened, and who, against the strongest 
hght, persist in disobeying his calls. It was an opinion 
expressed by one exceedingly conversant with revivals 
in the early part of the present century, that, during 
those seasons of mercy, not a few were left to blaspheme 
the Holy Ghost, and thus seal their own damnation. 
That they who live unregenerate, through times of God's 
special and gracious visitation, do, in many instances, 
acquire a stupidity of conscience, and obduracy of heart, 
such as they never before evinced, &nd which continue 
till their dreams are dissipated by death, there can be no 
doubt, and that some of these are chargeable with the blas- 
phemy against the Holy Ghost is altogether probable. 
Take heed, my friend, lest you perpetrate this rash, this 
damning deed. Better, infinitely better, that you had never 
4* 



42 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

been born, than that you should thus cut yourself off 
from all the blessings of God's covenant of grace, and 
from the hope of heaven. Should your life be spared a 
little longer, after the perpetration of such an act, it would 
be little else than a living death, a brief delay of the final 
interment of all your hopes, an awful season of prepara- 
tion for the funeral of your lost soul. 

As yet you have the opportunity to find merc}^. You 
have those compunctions, that lingering seriousness, 
which indicate the presence of the awakening and con- 
vincing spirit. Cease your resistance of his influences ; 
and peace, pardon, eternal happiness shall be yours. 
" To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your 
heart." Your next step in rebellion may insure your 
everlasting misery. There is no promise to keep you ; 
you hang on abused, uncovenanted mercy. How dread- 
ful would be your reflections in hell, at the remembrance 
of convictions stifled, resolutions broken, and profitless 
participation in the sympathies, prayers and counsels of 
the children of God ! Why will you involve yourself in 
such unutterable wretchedness ? Would you be separa- 
ted from all the holy, and associated wdth accursed fiends ? 
I hope to be saved myself ; and how can I bear the 
thought of hearing you call upon the rocks and moun- 
tains to fall upon you, and hide you from the face of 
Him who sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of 
the Lamb? Go with me to the heavenly Jerusalem. 
Will you go ? If not, we must part ; and with weeping 
eyes and a bursting heart, I must bid jo\xfareivellfo7' 
ever. 

Epsilon. 



LETTER V. 

TO A SINNER BEGINNING TO HOPE IN THE MERCY 
OF GOD. SELF-EXAMINATION. 

My Dear Friend^ 

Is it then true, that you have found mercy of 
the Lord? Has your perverse will been subdued? 
Has your enmity to God been succeeded by a sweet 
submission to his will ? Have all your sins been freely 
forgiven, for Jesus' sake? Then, has there been joy 
among the angels on your account ; then, have the 
wonders of redeeming grace towards you been cele- 
brated in loud songs through all the courts of heaven. 
And what are your own feelings ? You are constrained 
to acknowledge with the most fervent gratitude, that it 
is all of grace; that but for the signal interposition of 
the Almighty arm, you had been eternally lost ; and 
your natural inquiry now is, " What shall I render to 
my great deliverer for his distinguished benefits conferred 
upon me ? " Eternity will be none too long to utter all 
the praise due to him for his free and sovereign grace, 
in turning your thoughtless feet from the ways of sin and 
perdition, and establishing them on the rock of ages. 

How am I hurried onward by my feelings ? It 
becomes me — it is necessary for you— to remember that 
there is such a thing as a spurious conversion, on which 
thousands depend, till they find themselves bankrupt of 
all happiness, in the world of endless retribution. The 
Scriptures teach us to take heed on what foundation we 
build our hopes for eternity. " Be not deceived.'' — " Let 
a man examine himself." — " If any man think that he 



44 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

standeth, let him take heed lest he fall." — " Examine 
yourselves whether ye be in the faith ; prove your ov^n 
selves." Jesus Christ, our final judge, gives us many 
warnings on this subject. Many, he informs us, will 
come as to the very gate of heaven, expecting admittance, 
whom he will reject with the awful words, "I know you 
not, depart from me, all ye that w^ork iniquity." 

I beseech you, therefore, that you dig deeply — that 
you found your house upon a rock, able to withstand the 
violence of the winds and tempests, which will be sure 
one day to beat upon it. Some may advise you to do 
your duty, and leave the event with God. But what is 
duty ? In the strict and proper sense, it is never done, 
so long as the heart clings to that chief idol of the whole 
impenitent world — self Inward joy, zeal, and nume- 
rous labours may be the offspring of fanaticism as w^ell 
as of evangelical piety ; and a mere pharisee may 
" compass sea and land " to make proselytes, to acquire 
for himself a name, or to collect materials out of which 
he may rear a building of Babel dimensions, whose long 
and winding ascent shall conduct him at last to heaven. 

Read the Bible, particularly such parts of it as the 
book of psalms, the sermon on the mount, and the 
apostolical epistles, that you may learn whether your 
views of truth and your moral affections correspond 
with those of holy men in ancient times ; for true reli- 
gion is essentially the same under all dispensations, and 
in all ages of the world. It is always, and everywhere, 
the pure coin of heaven, bearing the image and super- 
scription of Him, who is the author and finisher of 
our faith. 

Some human treatises will be very useful in assisting 
you in the great and important work of self-examination. 
J know^ of no works, besides the inspired writings, better 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 45 

adapted to this purpose, than Witherspoon on " Regene- 
ration," Edwards on the " Affections," and Bellamy's 
" True Religion Delineated." If you are a true Chris- 
tian it will do you no injury, though it may for a time 
disquiet you, to be apprised of all the by-ways of self- 
deception ; while the narrow path of hohness is laid 
open before you in all its straitness, its difficulties, and 
its attractions. On the contrary, the disquietude, the 
humiliation, attendant on self-scrutiny, will be followed 
by such advancement in knowledge, such stability in the 
faith, and such usefulness to mankind, as cannot be at- 
tained by any other means. 

To render the exercise I am now recommending profit- 
able, it must be accompanied with fervent prayer to the 
Father of lights, whose powder alone can spread illumina- 
tion through the chambers of the soul, rendering legible 
the characters which have been inscribed there by his 
own finger. Cry w^th the psalmist, " Search me, O 
God, and know my heart ; try me, and know my 
thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting." God can dissi- 
pate the mists of prejudice, and excite in the soul those 
actings of holy affection, which will carry with them 
their own indubitable evidence of a celestial origin. 

I have time to say but little for the purpose of aiding 
you in the duty of trying your own character. 

I will mention a few simple tests ; and may the Lord 
dispose you to be faithful in applying them to the con- 
scious exercises of your own heart. 

Has there been an essential change in your views? 
affections, and purposes, with respect to God ? You 
were once his enemy ; and though you might have been 
pleased with your own false notions of his character, yet 
his real attributes, as a Being of infinite purity, righteous- 



46 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



ness, and sovereignty, excited only your aversion. Do 
you now rejoice in those moral perfections which you 
once abhorred ; and that too, independently of your 
supposed interest in the favour of Him to whom they 
belong? Do you begin to take complacency in the 
holiness of God ; and to exult in the thought that he is, 
and eternally will be, most happy and glorious ? There 
is no true piety without supreme love to the greatest and 
best of beings. " Love is the fulfiUing of the law ; " 
and without love, " I am but sounding brass, or a tink- 
Ung cymbal." — '« Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, 
with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy 
strength, and with all thy mind." 

Do you rejoice that the decretive will and providence 
of God, extend to all events in the natural and moral 
world ? Are you willing to trust him, where you cannot 
see the particular reasons of his dispensations, being 
assured that he will do all things well ; and to commit 
the keeping of your body and your soul to him, as to 
a faithful Creator ? Holy men of old loved to ascribe to 
Him unlimited dominion. Their language was, " The 
Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice ; let the multitude 
of the isles be glad thereof." — " Thine, O Lord, is the 
greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, 
and majesty ; for all that is in the heaven and in the 
earth is thine ; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou 
art exalted as head above all." 

Do you heartily approve of that law, which once most 
strongly irritated your corruptions, which requires of you 
perfect bohness, and according to which you are justly 
condemned ? Paul could say, " The law is holy, and 
the commandment holy, and just, and good." — "I de- 
light in the law of God after the inward man." 

Have you ever seen yourself to be a totally depraved 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 47 

and lost creature ? and have you been taught from the 
very heart to justify God in your everlasting condem- 
nation ? " The Son of man came to seek and to save 
that v^^hich was lost." It was not till the prodigal saw 
himself to be in a perishing condition, and Avas prepared 
to take to himself all the blame of his perverseness and 
profligacy, that he thought of retracing his guilty steps, 
and throwing himself upon his father's mercy. No 
man can sincerely plead for mercy ^ till he sees that, in 
point of justice^ he has no claims to the smallest tokens 
of the divine regard. The pharisee boasted of his virtues 
before God, and was rejected ; the pubhcan, conscious 
of his utter unworthiness, fled for refuge to mercy alone, 
and was accepted in the Beloved. 

Do you sincerely hate all sin, not merely because it 
exposes you to punishment, but because it is most odious 
in its own nature, contrary to the will of a holy and 
good God, and supremely hostile to that great system, 
by which it is his purpose most signally to glorify his 
own adorable name ? Do you know what it is to 
loathe yourself as a sinner in his sight, and to long for 
perfect holiness? Such feelings, it is manifest from the 
testimony of the Bible, are essential to true rehgion. 
" Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and 
your doings that were not good, and shall loathe your- 
selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your 
abominations." 

What are your views and affections with respect to 
Jesus, the exalted Mediator? Do you, with Paul, 
'= count all things but loss for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ? " Peter says, " To you who 
believe, He is precious." Is Jesus precious to you ? pre- 
cious in his divine glories? preciotts in his perfect 



48 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

human character ? ijrecioiis in all his works ? precious 
in all his offices as a Saviour ? 

" Ta]k they of morals? O thou bleeding love, 
The best morality is love to thee." 

Can you say of this meek, wise, most compassionate 
and mighty Redeemer, " He is all my salvation and all 
my desire ? " Do you come to Christ, penitently, joy- 
fully, for sanctificatioUj for pardon, for peace, for every 
good here, and for all the blessings of heaven hereafter ? 
Believing in Christ is not an indolent recumbency on 
his merits ; it is a going forth to him of the v^hole soul in 
all the warmth of its confidence, and the excited energy 
of its sensibilities. If faith be an eye, it beholds him 
with glistening joy, and weeps at his feet ; if it be a 
foot, it runs to him, though floods and mountains oppose ; 
if it be an arm, it embraces him as happy Simeon did, 
and will not let him go. 

Have you begun to love your neighbours as the crea- 
tures of God? Can you forgive your enemies, and 
pray for your persecutors, and earnestly desire the best 
good of all around you, and of a world lying in wicked- 
ness ? 

Do you feel complacency in good men — not on ac- 
count of their merely natural qualities — not because 
they are your personal friends, or are of the same party 
with yourself — but because God loves them, and because 
they have, though in an imperfect degree, the moral 
image of your Master in heaven ? " We know," says 
John, " that we have passed from death to life, because 
we love the brethren." 

Is the cause of Zion dear to your heart ? 

Is it your most fervent desire to know and do the will 
of God in all things — not for the sake of purchasing 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 49 

heaven by your own righteousness, but that you may in 
this manner evince the sincerity of your love to him, 
and show forth his praises? "Then shall I not be 
ashamed; when I have respect to all thy command- 
ments." 

Do you find a hew satisfaction in reading the Scrip- 
tures, in meditation, in secret and social prayer, in reli- 
gious conversation, and in attendance on the public 
ordinances of God's house? In these exercises the 
believer finds a joy, of which, before his renewal to holi- 
ness, he had no conception. 

I do not suppose that, if you are a Christian, you will 
find no difficulty in judging of your own state. True 
piety may exist in so lovv a degree, that many of its acts 
shall be scarcely subjects of consciousness to the mind in 
which they take place ; as natural life may be so weak 
that pulsation is hardly perceptible. Religion must 
acquire no inconsiderable vigor, before all its character- 
istics shall be so clearly developed as to leave no doubt 
of its genuineness?, to one who judges according to 
scriptural rules. It is true, however, that in all instan- 
ces, the leading features of a renewed mind are such as 
1 have mentioned, and you have no right to judge 
favourably of your state, any further than you find within 
yourself, the evidence that the change of which you 
have been the subject is of the nature implied in the 
foregoing particulars. 

The only possible method of attaining to a well- 
founded assurance of your interest in the Redeemer's 
merits, is to possess the various evangelical Views and 
affections, which I have noticed, in so high a degree, as 
to be conscious that you do possess them. You must, 
for example, have that strong love to God, which will 
at once show itself to differ essentially from the mere 

5 



50 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

natural gratitude you may feel towards a human bene- 
factor, or the servile cringing of the legalist, or the rap- 
ture of the antinomian, whose praise is excited by 
nothing else than confidence that his sins are pardoned, 
and that his salvation is sure. Thus, in the sense of the 
apostle, Romans viii. 16, will " the ' Spirit itself by the 
internal fruits which it produces, ' bear witness with' your 
' spirit,' " that you are a child of God. 

That God may keep you, and be your guide, make 
you useful in this world, and eternally happy in another, 
is my fervent prayer, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER VI. 

TO A YOUNG CONVERT. — ON THE FORMATION OF 
DEVOTIONAL HABITS. 

My dear Friend^ 

Holiness begins in regeneration ; and the 
agency which gives it existence is no less divine than 
was that which originally caused the light to shine out 
of darkness. After its first production, it is perpetuated 
and strengthened through a divine influence, chiefly by 
what are called the means of grace ; though all outward 
and internal trials, and all the dispensations of Provi- 
dence, conspire in accomplishing the purposes of infinite 
mercy and faithfulness, in reference to the advancement 
in piety, and ultimate perfection of the saints. They are 
to cultivate spiritual affections with as much assiduity 
as would be requisite did they act without any special 
assistance from above, in the momentous work of secur- 
ing their salvation. The believer is "a bundle of 
habits," no less than the impenitent sinner. 

My object in this letter is to urge you to the formation 
and establishment of those devotional habits which have 
ever been found to be connected with the life and power 
of godliness. 

Devotion consists in voluntary consecration to God, 
manifested in communion with him in his ordinances. 
You may think it needless for me to insist on this, since 
you now probably find the various acts of worship to be 
your delight, and the element in which your soul expa- 
tiates as the home of her being. But happy as you are 
in the first buddings of divine love in your heart, you 



62 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

carry with you still the germ of all evil desires, and live 
in a world where ten thousand influences unite to excite 
it to an activity of which you at present little dream. 
Paul complained of the body of death, after he had been 
for years a believer ; and constantly affirmed the neces- 
sity of unremitting effort to himself and his fellow-chris- 
tians : " I keep under my body, and bring it into subjec- 
tion." — " Forgetting those things which are behind, and 
reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press 
toward the mark." You will learn by experience, that 
your corruptions, though mortally wounded, if you are a 
true Christian, are yet by no means dead ; and that, 
after the first fervour of your joy is past, temptations to 
remissness, in your spiritual duties, will return with a vio- 
lence which it will require your utmost energy of princi- 
ple to resist. Be prepared for the conflict which, if 
ycur life is spared, you will without doubt be called to 
sustain. c 

However j^our depravity, or the world, or Satan may 
oppose, be constant and earnest in secret prayer. Though 
you are not to measure the value of your devotions by 
their length, yet you should accustom yourself, like that 
excellent young man, Henry Kirke White, to continue 
at the throne of grace till you find your heart penetrated 
by the petitions you offer, and enjoy some manifestations 
of your Redeemer's love. " But thou, when thou pray- 
est," says the Son of God, "enter into thy closet, and 
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which 
is in secret, and thy Fatber which seeth in secret shall 
reward thee openly." In secret prayer, the ancient saints 
found refuge from day to day. " My voice," says the 
psalmist, " slialt thou hear in the morning ; O Lord, in 
the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will 
look up." — " Evening, and morning, and noon, will I 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 53- 

pray, and cry aloud." We are required to " pray always, 
with all prayer and supplication ; " to '' pray without 
ceasing- ; " and to " loatch thereunto," (since from the 
influence of indweUing sin we shall otherwise grow negli- 
gent in the duty,) " with all perseverance." One neglect 
will but pave the way for another. Satan will have 
little objection to any of your public acts of religion, 
provided that you are inconstant and cold in closet 
prayer. 

Let no day pass without reading a portion of the in- 
spired volume ; and search it with such diligence that 
you will become famihar with its contents, able to state 
and defend its doctrines, having its precepts always at 
hand for your guidance, and continually influenced by 
the great motives which it furnishes to penitence, faith, 
obedience, hope, and joy. Dismiss that miscellaneous 
popular reading, which will hinder 5^our attention to the 
inestimable treasures of divine truth contained in the. 
sacred records. The Bereans are commended for " search- 
ing," not carelessly running over, "the Scriptures daily." 
This duty is expressly enjoined by the Saviour. The 
apostle exhorts us to " let the word of Christ dwell in us 
richly in all wisdom;" and he calls this word "the 
sword of the Spirit," with which believers are to encoun- 
ter " principahties, powers, the rulers of the darkness of 
this world," and " spiritual wicked ness in high places." 
Instead of wasting your time'in the perusal of works of 
fiction, and numerous frivolous periodicals, endeavour to 
make yourself acquainted with the most valuable trea- 
tises, which the language supplies, on doctrinal, experi- 
mental and practical divinity. '' And this 1 pray that 
your love may abound yet more and more, in know- 
ledge and all judgment, that you may approve things 
that are excellent," or, as the original words import, ' try 
5* 



54 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

things that differ y'' " that ye may be sincere, and with- 
out offence till the day of Christ." 

Accustom yourself to meditation on the character and 
ways of God. " Stand in awe, and sin not ; commune 
with your own heart upon your bed, and be still." — " My 
soul." says David, " shall be satisfied as with marrow 
and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful 
lips, when I remember thee upon ray bed, and medi- 
tate on thee in the night-watches." Meditation makes 
your knowledge your own, and converts the truths which 
you have learned from the Scriptures into commanding 
principles of action. " Thy word have I hid in my 
heart, that I might not sin against thee." 

Few writers have enforced the duty of heavenly con- 
templation with more energy and unction than Baxter, 
in the latter part of his book on " the Saints' Rest," 
with which I hope you will become intimately conver- 
sant. It is rich in thought, in plain and nervous 
eloquence, and in a vein of piety, such as lias seldom 
been surpassed. 

Be faithful in self-examination, that you may know 
yourself; that you may be humble ; and that you may 
learn to guard against your faults for the time to come. 

Neglect not social prayer. Be found morning and 
evening at the family altar ; and, as you have oppor- 
tunity, join the praying circle during the week, who seek 
the blessing of God on themselves, on their friends, on 
the congregation to which they belong, on their country, 
or on a dying world. As prayer meetings are warrant- 
ed by Scripture example, so, when they are well con- 
ducted, they eminently tend to keep alive an active piety 
among Christians. They have often been called moral 
thermometers, by which the moral temperature of a 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 55 

church is ascertained ; and, as a general fact, there can 
be no doubt of the propriety of the appellation. 

Be a regular and serious attendant on the public wor- 
ship of God's house. '' The Lord loveth the gates of 
Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."— "For a 
day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had 
rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to 
dwell in the tents of wickedness." 

The cultivation of a devout spirit is necessarily implied 
in serving God, and is virtually promised by every Chris- 
tian at the time of his conversion. 

It elicits and confirms all holy dispositions. It is both 
the efifect and the cause of a thriving spirituality of soul. 
'' To pray frequently," says Thomas Scott, " is the way 
to pray fervently ; '' and to pray fervently, we may add, 
is the way to achieve the greatest victories in our holy 
warfare. Without devotion a man can do nothing, he 
is nothing. Stupidity and inconstancy in this respect, 
are, in general, the first symptoms of spiritual declension. 

A kind of bustling zeal may be maintained, which 
will serve to tranquillize conscience, and foster hope, 
when the heart is utterly alienated from God ; as a body 
may be moved by galvanism, or steam, or mere mechani- 
cal agents, without a soul. The platform, the reports, 
the eloquent speeches, of a mi£>3sionary meeting, may ex- 
cite essentially the same class of feelings with that which 
is awakened by the scenery, the acting, and the music of 
the theatre. Roscius on sacred themes may amuse and 
electrify, no less than Roscius pronouncing the plays of 
Terence with all his powers of voice and commanding 
gesture ; and the eflfects of his eloquence may have as 
little connection with evangelical goodness in the one 
case as in the other. Many a man who could be roused, 
by the agency of the social principle, to weep in the 



56 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

religious assembly, where anecdotes, and tropes, and bold 
apostrophes unite thousands of hearts in mysterious and 
breathless sympathy, has had no tears to shed over his 
sins in private, no warm affections to cluster around the 
Saviour in his path of meekness, and lowliness, and un- 
ostentatious self-denial. There is peculiar danger in 
this age of benevolent movements, when Christian de- 
signs are formed on a scale of grandeur before unknown, 
that men will mistake the impulse occasioned by the 
power of conventional association for the momentum of 
love to Christ, and a stirring enthusiasm in religious 
operations, for the energy of vital piety itself 

True religion is not a mere creature of circumstances. 
It needs not the vigilance of a multitude of eyes to pre- 
vent its slumbers^ nor the roar of public applause to 
awaken it when asleep. Its hope, its confidence is in 
God ; and it could be steadfast, unmoveable, though a 
world were in arms to shake its constancy. 

By means of devotional habits, your usefulness will be 
most effectually promoted. Without them, you will 
have no disposition to engage, from right motives, in any 
good work ; or, if you should attempt to be useful, you 
w^ould accomplish comparatively little in the underta- 
king. Baxter says, that vehemence of tones in the pulpit, 
disconnected from the fire of divine love in the heart, 
will be but " ineffectual bawling." Whatever is pro- 
fessedly done for the cause of Christ with an undevout 
frame of soul, is little better than the senseless clamour 
of an ignorant and heartless preacher. Prayer leads to 
the selection of wise means, prompts to perseverance in 
the use of them, and secures the blessing of God to 
make them successful. 

Ardent devotion will be an antidote to every evil. It 
will give you courage against enemies ; strength when 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 57 

weak ; refreshment when weary ; and peace when har- 
rassed by the storms of adversity without, or the fierce 
assaults of temptation in your own bosom. It will bring 
with it the tokens of the divine favour, and that cheer- 
ing "hope" which is "as an anchor of the soul, both 
sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within 
the veil." You will endure " as seeing him, who is in- 
visible." Thus, whatever may be your external cir- 
cumstances, your life will be most happy ; because you 
will walk with God, and he will communicate his love 
to you, as a child of his grace and an heir of glory. 
But in the same degree as you become imfaithful in de- 
votional feelings and acts, you will lose the evidence of 
your filial relation to God, and that comfort in him, 
which is the strength and support of his children. He 
who can neglect the throne of grace, and yet talk of the 
consolations of his hope, must be strangely infatuated. 
" Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." 
All the beam^s of glory in which the Church is invested 
are borrowed beams, and for this reason, she is, with 
propriety, likened to the moon, which is an opaque body, 
and cannot give light except she first receive it from the 
sun. Suppose the moon were intelligent, and able and 
disposed to retire from the reach of all solar influences, 
she would then resemble a professor of religion, seeking 
happiness at a distance from that God, whose manifested 
presence is the light and joy of the whole holy creation. 
Be jealous, then, of the first tendency to a spiritual re- 
lapse. Let the pulse of divine life within you be kept 
vigorous, — not by the use of such nostrums as moral 
quacks prescribe, by occasional spasmodic efforts, and by 
following those who cry, "liohere, and lo there,"— but 
by strict attention to your frames, your habitudes of 
mind, apd diligence in that course of action which the 



58 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

promise of the Most High has connected with the great- 
est degree of spiritual health and prosperity. It is not 
by attempting to throw himself from the bed, and to 
walk abroad, that a man in the paroxysms of a violent 
fever is to expect a cure. He must take the proper medi- 
cines, and submit himself implicitly to the advice of his 
physicians. The language of the Great Physician is, 
" 1 said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain." 
" Take with you words, and turn to the Lord : say unto 
him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously ; 
so will we render the calves of our lips. I will heal their 
backsliding, 1 will love them freely : for mine anger is 
turned away from him." 

May the Lord keep you in the way of duty to the 
end. 

Yours, with much affection, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER VII. 

TO A YOUNG CONVERT. ON THE PASSIVE VIRTUES 

OF CHRISTIANITY. 

My dear Friend^ 

The subject of this letter is one of great im- 
portance, and is, I fear, from the influence of inward 
corruption in good men, from the power of fashion ,and 
perhaps also, from disgust at the extravagances of quiet- 
ism, too generally overlooked by Christians, in this age 
of high expectation, zeal, and religious enterprise. To 
act for Christ is reckoned manly ; to suffer for Christ, 
seems to be deemed an affair of far less consequence. 

The human heart, in its perverseness, has always pre- 
ferred resistance to submission. 

The ancients had no term to express what the Bible 
means by humility. With them pride was greatness ; 
and the opposite to pride was meanness and pusillanim- 
ity. Homer's heroes were men of blood ; and to refuse 
to fight was, in their estimation, the proof of a dastardly 
soul. No heathen ever yet conceived of strength of cha- 
racter, without stubbornness ; or magnanimity, without 
a haughty contempt of enemies. Nominal Christians 
have, in most instances, had notions but Httle superior to 
pagans on this subject. What are most of our poets, 
our orators, our historians, — 1 wish I need not add, 
many of our divines, but eulogists of some of the worst 
attributes of human nature ? 

The Church, in almost every age, has assumed a kind 
of military character. Many of her champions have 



60 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

literally borne the sword ; and others, whose weapons 
have all been of the moral kind, have, I fear, used them 
with that partizan zeal, and thirst for domination, which 
led an Alexander to seek the conquest of the world. 
We love vehement emotion, the aggressive acts of con- 
scious strength, and the shouts and self-exultation of 
victory. 

Youthful minds, especially, kindle at the thought 
of something to he done — something to be told of — 
something which will serve as a lasting memorial of 
their prowess and noble daring. Almost any means are 
reckoned justifiable, which are employed to promote the 
interests of piety; intrigue, management, ridicule, scorn, 
hatred, and furious denunciation, become sanctified, when 
they are employed in so worthy a cause. 

Christianity insists on a temper, directly opposite to 
that which the world cherishes and admires. HumiHty, 
or a willingness to take a low place before God, as 
guilty rebels, who deserve only his wrath, conjoined with 
a disposition to prefer others to ourselves, it requires, 
as a most essential attribute of evangehcal goodness. 
" Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased : and he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted." — " And Jesus 
called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of 
them, and said, Verily I say unto you. Except ye be 
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not en- 
ter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, 
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is great- 
est in the kingdom of heaven." Augustine regarded 
humility as holding the same place in the Christian sys- 
tem, that action, or delivery, was supposed by a great 
orator to occupy in the art of eloquence — diS Jirst, second^ 
and thirds in point of importance. . 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 61 

Meekness, or a yielding disposition, and practical 
aversion to clamour and strife, is another state of the 
heart, on which the Gospel lays great stress. " Blessed 
are the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth." Receive 
with meekness the ingrafted word." 

The Gospel also enjoins patience, and forgiveness of 
injuries. " Love your enemies, bless them that curse 
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for tliem 
which despitefully use you and persecute you. If thine 
enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink. 
Be not overcome of evil ; but overcome evil with good." 

These virtues I rank together, because they all belong 
to one class, and are but different modifications of the 
same spirit. The existence of one imports, in an equal 
degree, the existence of all the rest. 

Though they may be confounded with it, by super- 
ficial thinkers, yet they differ essentially from constitu- 
tional tameness, or irresolution of mind. They may 
be grafted on the roughest natural dispositions, as well 
as the mildest. They are not only compatible with 
moral force, but they impart it where it is not. JNo 
mere man had greater vigour and courage than Moses, 
who was, in his day, the meekest of the human race. 
Who was ever so valiant for the truth, so indefatigable in 
pursuing the most magnificent designs as he, whose 
whole life was a perfect exemplification of all the calm, 
and quiet, and unobtrusive virtues, which he recom- 
mended to his disciples? 

These excellencies necessarily spring from supreme 
love to God, and benevolence to men. Who can be 
disposed to think highly of himself, when he views his 
own heart, in contrast with infinite purity and loveli- 
ness ? "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear : 
but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore J abhor myself, 

6 



62 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

and repent in dust and ashes." How can he scorn others, 
or be quick to retaUate, who discovers, with eyes of faith, 
the beauty of the divine condescension, and pardoning 
mercy ? 

They are pecuUarly becoming in us as sinners. In 
ourselves, we are infinitely vile. The Gospel treats us 
as creatures, who have no claim to the kind regard of 
their heavenly Father, and who deserve his endless 
curse ; and we are ourselves conscious of a long resist- 
ance of his authority, and stubborn abuse of his forbear- 
ance and grace. For a worm to raise his crest in pride, 
would be ridiculous ; but for a sinful worm to indulge 
the swelUngs of a fancied superiority, and to look down 
upon his fellow- worms, and to hate them because they 
do not render to him the homage which he regards as 
his due is supremely preposterous ; the consummation of 
moral incongruities ; a thing utterly incredible, but for 
the actual occurrence of it among mankind. 

These virtues are enforced by those doctrines of 
grace, which constitute the foundation of all our hope. 
Election contemplates us as self-ruined, and proposes to 
raise us to hohness and heaven. The atonement tells, 
not only of the matchless love of God, but of the fierce 
flames, which justice had enkhidled to consume us. 
Efl^icacious grace assures us of that strength of depravity 
within us, which nothing less than Omnipotence could 
overcome. The method of justification through a Re- 
deemer, views us as so unworthy, that we can receive 
no good whatever, save on the ground of another's righ- 
teousness. Where is boasting then? Down, down 
with the pride of the heart. Well does the apostle say 
to Christians, '' Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, 
lioly and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble- 
ness of mind, meekness, long-suffering : Forbearing 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 63 

one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have 
a quarrel against any ; even as Christ forgave you, so 
also do ye." 

Our providential dependance, indeed, reproves the 
madness of pride. Our talents are the gifts of God. 
The comforts we enjoy, are but streams from the eternal 
fountain of love. The rebuke of the apostle to the con- 
ceited and pugnacious Corinthians, was as just as it was 
humiliating. " For who maketh thee to differ from ano- 
ther? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? 
now if thou didst receive it, w^hy dost thou glory, as if 
thou hadst not received it ? " 

These virtues are required by our situation in this 
world. It is a world of trials. Occasions of irritation 
are numerous. The httle cross accidents of every day ; 
the bad tempers of our fellow-men ; the provocations we 
suffer from fraud, meanness, and injustice, in others, 
no less than the more serious calamities of life, expose us 
to unceasing dissatisfaction and peevishness. A proud 
and impatient man is hke a tiger among insects, who 
bite and drink his blood ; in vain he lashes himself, 
and growls and runs from dale to mountain, and fromi 
mountain to dale ; for he is still pursued by his tor- 
mentors. If there be a sting, or a prickly bush any 
where, such a man will be sure to find it. and feel the 
smart which it has power to inflict. He extracts the gali 
and wormwood of every cup, and then wonders that it ig 
so very, very bitter. Humility, meekness, patience, 
divest the scorpion's tooth of its venom ; infuse sweetness 
into the chalice of soirow ; and convert the poison which 
malice had prepared for our destruction into a healing 
medicine for the soul. " Thou wilt keep him in per- 
fect peace^ whose rnind is stayed on thee ; because he 
trusteth in thee." 



64 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

The universal prevalence of these vhlues would change 
the earth into a Paradise. Let men learn, in lovt^hness 
of mind, to esteem others better than themselves ; to bless 
those that revile them ; and to pray for their enemies ; 
and all wars, and occasions of wars, v/ould cease ; bicker- 
ings in neighbourhoods and families would be unknown ; 
candour and good-will would characterize all religious 
discussions, since truth would be sought for its own 
sake ; and jealousies and rivalries, and overreaching, 
would be succeeded by the universal "reign of peace and 
righteousness. A religion, whose peculiar and lead- 
ing precepts have manifestly such a tendency, carries 
with it — as has often been shown — wrought into its very 
frame-work, incontrovertible evidences of its divineorigin. 

By cultivating the passive virtues of Christianity, you 
will most effectually recommend it to the acceptation of 
your fellow-men. The infidel is confounded, when he 
witnesses the triumphs of humility and patience. "I 
have come," said a celebrated divine, to his brother-in- 
law, by whom he had been offended, " I have come, 
brother, to acknowledge my fault ; and I sincerely ask 
your forgiveness, as I have, I trust, already obtained it 
from God." The wicked brother, who had been pleasing 
himself with the thought that he had called forth expres- 
sions of unholy resentment from a saint, was overcome 
by this confession, and the tenderness and humility of 
manner with which it was accompanied. •' There is," he 
was constrained, inwardly, to say, " a power in religion, of 
which I, as yet, am wholly ignorant." The result was, 
that through grace, he became a Christian, and an emi- 
nently faithful and useful preacher of the Gospel. How 
forcible are right words. 

Jesus Christ, our great Pattern, and our atoning 
Priest, was emphatically meek and lowly in heart. 



PRACTICALRELIGION. 65 

" Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when 
he suffered, he threatened not ; but committed himself to 
him that judgeth righteously." — " Let this mind be in 
you, which was also in Christ Jesus." — " Now if any 
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." 
He is called a lamh^ to signify his meekness and uncom- 
plaining patience, no less than the vicarious sacrifice of 
himself, of which the ancient paschal lamb was a type. 
In reference to the spirit he exhibited under his suffer- 
ings, it was said of him, in ancient prophecy, " He was 
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his 
mouth : he i.s brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as 
a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not 
his mouth." When did he seek to be' revenged upon his 
enemies? When did he return cursing for cursing? He 
forbids his servants to take up arms in his defence. Behold a 
multitude gathered around him ; he is stripped of his own 
garments, and arrayed in a mock robe ; a few pity him, 
but none dare appear openly to espouse his cause ; he is 
insulted by taunts, spit upon, smitten by the ruthless 
hands of his persecutors, exhibited as the object of ge- 
neral scorn and abhorrence ; — yet, he meekly bears all 
these indignities. See ! they nail him to the cross, and 
deride his unutterable agonies, while he is hanging there 
to expiate the sins of the world. Hark ! the suffering, 
dying Saviour prays. And what is the burden of his 
prayer? Is it, "Deliver me from my pains, O, my 
Father?" Is it, "Pour out thy vengeance upon these 
murderers, who seek to imbrue their hands in the blood 
of thine own Son?" O, no — but, ''Father, forgive 
them ; for they know not what they do." And can the 
ransomed disciples of such a Saviour be proud and resent- 
ful, and vindictive? Whenever you, my dear friend, 
feel yourself tempted to indulge an unchristian temper, 

6* 



66 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

let your mind revert to the judgment-hall of Pilate, and 
the groaning victim on Calv^ary. 

These humble virtues will form the common character 
of mankind, during that period, when there shall be 
*• upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the 
Lord ; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like 
the bowls before the altar." 

Above all, they will attain to their perfection in the 
heavenly v*^orld, where each will rejoice in the distinction 
and happiness of others, as if they were his own, and 
the highest enjoyment of all will be to ascribe glory to 
Him, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb forever. 

Pray for me, that 1 may abound in all these lovely 
graces ; and expect in return my prayers for you, that 
you may be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which 
are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. 

Yours, affectionately, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER VIII. 

ON THE PROPER BIANNER OF STUDYING THE DOC- 
TRINES OF THE GOSPEL. 

My dear Friend^ 

It is a very popular notion, that doctrinal 
opinions are of little importance. The infidel couplet of 
Pope, finds a response in many a heart, which has pro- 
fessed subjection to the Gospel : 

" For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight ; 
He can't be wrong, whose life is in the right." 

But you " have not so learned Christ." You have been 
taught to set a just estimate on revealed truth ; knowing 
that without faith it is impossible to please God ; and 
that the objects of this faith, are nothing more nor less 
than the facts and inculcations recorded in the Scrip- 
tures. In the same proportion as it is right or safe to 
deny or undervalue what the inspired volume teaches, 
the utility and necessity of divine revelation itself, are 
diminished ; and encouragement is given to skepticism, 
and the practices to which it leads. Certain it is, 
if men are not blameable for their creed, they ought 
not to be reproached for that conduct which is its fair 
and necessary consequence, since it is a crime in any 
one to violate, in his actions, the dictates of his judgment 
and conscience. 

There is an undeniable connexion betv/een our belief 
and our life. What are Paganism, Mohammedism, and 
Atheism, but so many erroneous systems of doctrine ? 
He whose religion enjoins intemperance, licentiousness, 



68 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

and cruelty, unless he be a hypocrite in his profession, 
cannot be otherwise than debauched and bloody-minded. 
Our affections towards God, our worship, our whole 
experience and practice, must, of course, correspond to 
the views we entertain of his character, w^ill, and gov- 
ernment. We cannot trust in Jesus Christ, as he is 
revealed to us in the Bible, if we are ignorant of his 
perfections, and of the offices which he executes as our 
Redeemer. Hence it is said, "This is hfe eternal to 
knoio thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom 
thou hast sent." 

All Scriptural doctrines have some relation to God, or 
the Saviour, or to the slate and destiny of man ; and 
cannot, therefore, as has been often alleged, be points of 
mere speculation, about w4iich good men may differ 
without guilt or danger. Some of these doctrines are 
doubtless of more vital consequence than others ; yet 
they all help to compose that scheme of divine truth 
which is coherent in all its parts, and on which, as 
an immoveable foundation, rests the whole structure of 
evangelical piety and morals. Without reference to 
what is believed, religion is hke a building without a 
frame, or a mass of flesh without the bones to which it 
properly belongs, and disconnected from which it is of 
no value to the living animal. 

It is surely then your duty so to investigate the doc- 
trines of the Gospel, that you will be able to understand 
them, and hold them, without wavering. You may be 
accused of bigotry ; but bigotry has its origin rather in 
pride, ignorance, or hatred of others, than in an unyield- 
ing attachment to opinions which you have found on 
examination to be Scriptural. The " charity " which 
God requires " rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in 
the truth. " The divine command is, " Prove all things, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



69 



hold fast that which is good ; " and " Be not carried 
about with divers and strange doctrines ; for it is a good 
thing that the heart be estabhshed with grace." Read 
also, Rom. xvi. 17, 18. 1 Cor. i. 10. Eph. iv. 14, 15. 
2 Cor. i. 9. Col. ii. 4, 8. 1 John, ii. 19, 26, 27. 2 
John, 9, 11. 

The numerous controversies which exist in the Church, 
instead of justifying indifference to the subjects of which 
they treat, furnish a powerful reason for earnest inquiry, 
and show the more clearly the importance of stabihty in 
the faith. He who is not grounded in the truth, will be 
likely to be perplexed with reference to every disputed 
point ; or to yield his judgment to the last captivating 
speaker or writer, to whose arguments he may have 
attended. And what a spectacle is the professed Chris- 
tian who veers like the weather cock, with every shifting 
breeze ! 

You should study Christian doctrines with diligence, 
for they will certainly repay the most earnest attention. 
Compare things spiritual with spiritual, and imitate the 
noble Bereans, who " received the word with all readiness 
of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether 
those things," taught by Paul and Silas, " were so." 

Study them with a sincere desire to know the truth 
as it is ill Jesus. With too many the object is rather to 
confirm themselves in their prejudices, than to understand 
the will of God ; and the plainest passages are denied 
or explained away, which contradict the dogmas of their 
philosophy. I once heard of an individual who would 
not read the 9th chapter of Romans; for he was resolved 
to reject some of the views which that chapter most 
plainly inculcates. 

Study them with humility. To such a spirit, the 
promise of divine guidance in our religious inquiries is 



70 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

given. " The meek will he guide in judgment ; and 
the meek will he teach his way." — " Trust in the Lord 
with all thine heart ; and lean not unto thine own un- 
derstanding." Remember your ignorance; and the 
blinding influence of sin on the judgment and the rea- 
soning faculty. Your proper place is that of a learner. 
Were you able to discover all truth by your own un- 
aided powers, a revelation from heaven had been un- 
necessary. Some stumble at the mysteries of the Bible ; 
at the doctrines, for example, of the decrees, the trinity, 
original sin, the atonement, and effectual calling. But 
why should men wonder, ihdii facts are revealed, the 
mode of which they cannot comprehend? Nature is 
full of mysteries; the caviller is a mystery to himself; 
he cannot explain the manner of the connexion between 
his body and his soul ; and why should he object to 
mysteries in the Scriptures? Did the Bible contain 
none, one important evidence would be wanting, that 
the Author of nature is also the Author of the Bible ; 
there would not be the same impress on both, and the 
scoffer would have some good pretext for his infidelity. 
To such minds as ours, incoinprehensibles must of 
course be attached to whatever is infinite. Can we 
fathom eternity, or self-existence, or immensity? What 
theory can free us from all difficulties with regard to the 
introduction of evil under the government of a Being of 
Almighty powder and goodness ? If we will believe 
nothing which does not in some respects exceed our com- 
prehension, we can have no belief concerning any of 
the boundless attributes of our Maker. " Canst thou 
by searching, find out God ? Canst thou find out the 
Almighty unto perfection ? " A disposition then, hum- 
bly to receive what is revealed on the mere testimony of 
God, however it may contradict our prejudices, or thwart 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 71 

our sinful passions, is indispensable to success in our 
researches after divine truth. "I thank thee," said 
Jesus, " that thou hast hid these things from the wise 
and prudent^ and hast revealed them unto habesy — 
*' Except ye receive the kingdom of God as a little child, 
ye shall in no wise enter Uierein." 

" In pride, in reasoning pride, our error lies, 
AH would be gods, and rush into the skies." 

He must have a very shallow intellect indeed, who 
thinks there is nothing too mighty for his grasp. What 
advances can he have made in science? What reflec- 
tion can he have bestowed on any great subject ? He 
who rejects one mystery, not unfrequently, by that very 
act, creates another still greater ; or adopts a plain ab- 
surdity in its stead. 

Study these doctrines with a disposition to obey the 
loill of God^ so far as it is known. None are so hard- 
ened as those who refuse to do acknowledged duty ; and 
God sometimes sends them " strong delusions," as a 
just punishment for their wilful disobedience. Besides, 
the practice of sin tends to darken the understanding. 
This is so obvious that even Hierocles, a heathen, said, 
" The mind destitute of virtue cannot see the beauty of 
truth." Moral purity, on the other hand, opens the 
mind to receive evidence. " If any man," says Jesus 
Christ, " will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, 
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" 
That the Most High will give greater light to those who 
make a good use of that they already have, is apparent 
from the words of the apostle, Phil. iii. 15, 16 : " Let us 
therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded ; and if 
in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal 
even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have 



72 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us 
mind the same thing." 

Study these doctrines with much prayer. This was 
the method adopted by Thomas Scott in those investi- 
gations by which he was led from the cheerless regions 
of Socinianism, into the full light of the evangelical 
system. He assures us, that there was scarcely an im- 
portant text, over which he did not pray for divine illu- 
mination with regard to its meaning. This w^as the 
psalmist's method of study, " Open thou mine eyes, that 
I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." — 
'* Make me to understand the way of thy precepts." 
To this method of study, the precious promise is annexed, 
" If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that 
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not ; and it 
shall be given him. But let him ask in' faith, nothing 
wavering ; for he that wavereth is Hke a wave of the 
sea, driven with the wind and tossed." This promise 
is fulfilled, not by immediate revelation, but by God's 
disposing us to use faithfully the powers we possess ; 
curing our prejudices ; infusing into our hearts a strong 
love of the truth ; vanquishing that pride which makes 
us unwilling to occupy the place that becomes us, as crea- 
tures and as sinners ; and affording us, by his provi- 
dence, all needed advantages for learning his will. 
Dreams, and impulses, and miraculous lights are out of 
the question. He brings us to his holy word ; and from 
that source he pours in upon our darkened minds the 
knowledge of his glory. 

Study these doctrines with the best helps which you 
can obtain. Distrust those who (ell you that the most 
valuable theological writings of former ages, are but 
useless lumber, which it will be your wisdom to throw 
aside ; for in nine cases out of ten, they who speak in 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 73 

this manner, are either ignorant of the books they thus 
unsparingly condemn, or have some crudities of their 
own, which will not be likely to gain general currency 
till a knowledge of the learning, profound arguments, 
and piety of past times, shall have been obliterated 
from the minds of men. The Reformers, many of the 
puritans of Great Britain, and the Hookers, the Shepards, 
the Mathers, and the Edwardses, of New England, were 
intellectual giants, whose memorial will remain after the 
names of their puny assailants shall have returned to 
their original nothing. 

Suspect the orthodoxy, or the sound sense of those 
who hate all systems of divinity, as if they, of course, 
contained the quintessence of illiberality and stupid rea- 
soning. There is order every wherein the creation of God ; 
and it would be unaccountable, if his word, instead of 
evincing his supreme wisdom, were but a careless jumble 
of independent and contradictory propositions. If He 
speak, it is in a manner worthy of himself; and He 
cannot deny at one time, what He affirms at another. 

You are not, indeed, to follow impUcitly any human 
guide ; yet you may assume it as probable, that the 
general views in which the best men of all generations 
have concurred, are agreeable to the Gospel, rather than 
opinions which have, in most instances, been associated 
with an overweening pride, worldhness, or superstitious 
observances in their advocates. 

Obtain the assistance of judicious friends in your in- 
quiries. Look for an instructive preacher, who under- 
stands what he professes to teach ; and give no coun- 
tenance to the mere declaimer, who seeks to amuse, 
when he should win a soul, or who mistakes a feverish 
excitement, without knowledge and without principle, for 
an intelligent, humble, and affectionate piety. 

7 



74 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

After all, your great business should be to understand 
the Bible; and better were it for you to read nothing 
else, than to trust in human authority. In the Bible, if 
you study it aright, you will find unity of design ; a clear 
development of all the great principles of religion ; the 
most cogent motives to duty; in short, every thing neces- 
sary to make you wise unto salvation. 

Pursue the course which I have thus recommended, 
and your views of the Gospel will become more and 
more clear, settled and transforming. Christian doc- 
trines will be to you a source of perpetual delight ; your 
consolation in affliction; your strongest incentive to duty; 
your support, your jey, your triumph, in death. Instead 
of resting satisfied with correct notions in the head, you 
will find yourself increasingly sanctified hy the truth, 
until you reach that blessed world, where you will see 
the Redeemer, face to face, and know even as you are 
known. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER IX. 

ON THE DUTY OP MAKING A PUBLIC PROFESSION 
OF RELIGION. 

My dear Friend^ 

You inquire of me respecting your duty to 
enter into visible covenant with God, as one of his people. 
It is now several months since you first cherished the 
hope of your title to an inheritance in heaven ; and you 
have not yet, by any pubUc act, joined yourself to the 
community of the Redeemer's friends on earth. 

You have done well in delaying a profession of piety, 
till you could have opportunity to ascertain the genuine- 
ness of your conversion, and the steadfastness of your 
principles, by those trials which seldom fail to occur, after 
the novelty of first rehgious impressions has passed away. 
Hasty admissions into the Church, where there are no 
peculiar reasons to require them, are generally found 
hurtful to the character of the supposed converts who 
are received, and injurious to the cause of Christ. Fana- 
tical zeal, and false hopes are encouraged ; and, in con- 
sequence of this, all pretensions to vital godliness become 
liable to suspicion. A gust of passion is mistaken for 
that deliberate choice which springs from supreme love 
to God, and holy dehght in his service. " Those who 
take up religion in a passion, ' as one observes, *' will 
throw it down in a fret." The strange notion that a 
season of delay in coming to the communion table, will 
extinguish piety in a young convert, is as absurd as 
would be the idea that a new-born infant, in order 



76 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

to preserve its life, should be immediately fed with 
the substantial ahment designed for those of riper 
years. 

Yet J doubtless, it is the duty and the privilege of all 
Christians, after a suitable time has elapsed for proving 
their gracious sincerity, to seek admission, by a public 
profession, to the visible Church. The complaint that 
you have doubts concerning your own good' estate, can 
afford you no sufficient excuse for delay ; since, after all, 
your hopes preponderate, and they are not likely to be- 
come greater by your neglecting to obey the dying com- 
mand of your Lord. Peace is the offspring of impar- 
tial obedience to all the divine requirements ; anxiety 
and bitterness of soul are the necessary fruits of wilful 
transgression. 

Germanicus appeared to be a pious man for years ; but, 
in consequence of constitutional diffidence, or some diffi- 
culties on the subject of baptism, he neglected to come 
to the Lord's table ; and, though very exemplary in most 
respects, he appeared almost a stranger to Christian con- 
solation. He was, at length, convinced of his error ; 
and, after making application for the purpose, was re- 
ceived to the communion of the Church He became 
almost instantly as happy as he had before been wretch- 
ed ; and he was soon noticed as one of the best informed, 
most active, and most useful Christians in the place of 
his residence. What a drooping, melancholy, unprofit- 
able life he would have led, had he continued to disre- 
gard his obligations to commemorate the Saviour's death, 
in the eucharist ? 

The language of Christ to his disciples, is, " Do this, 
in remembrance of me." And can a real friend of 
Christ regard as of small importance, the requirement 
of his adorable Master, and the ordinance in which hi§ 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 77. 

dying love is declared and commemorated? '*Let a 
man examine himself," says the apostle, " and so " — 
what ? Let him do as he pleases in regard to cele- 
brating the supper 7 No — " let him eat of that'bread, 
and drink of that cup." The remedy for a profane 
celebration is not an omission of the act^ but self-exami- 
nation, humility, and penitential prayer. 

It is by a public profession of religion chiefly, that 
believers, in ordinary states of the world, confess Christ 
before men. Hear Him on this subject, "Whosoever 
shall confess me before men, him will I confess also 
before my Father which is in heaven." — " Whosoever 
shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this 
adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the 
Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory 
of his Father, with the holy angels." Awful words ! 
Who can bear the thought that Christ should be 
ashamed of him on that terrible day when the wicked 
will seek to hide themselves in the dens and caves qf 
the earth, for the fear of the Lord, and the glory of his 
majesty ? 

If you may excuse yourself in disobedience, another 
may, and another, and another, till Christ shall cease to 
have any visible Church in the world ! And do you 
think it right in you to give an example, which, if uni- 
versally followed, would destroy that great association, 
which the Saviour has organized for the diffusion of 
truth and holiness, in these regions of error, pollution, 
and death? 

By making a profession of religion, a man assumes 
the badge of discipleship ; the uniform of the armies of 
the redeemed. What a soldier must he be who 
refuses to wear the divinely appointed badge, and mixes 

7* 



78. PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

with the multitude in the habiliments of a common 
citizen. 

Suppose your mother, when dying, had placed a ring 
upon your finger, saying, " Wear this, as a memorial of 
my love," — how would you have accused yourself, if, 
instead of obeying her injunction, you had suffered the 
precious relic to rust in your drawer, or had given it to a 
stranger ? Would your conscience have been pacified 
by the suggestion, that provided you affectionately cher- 
ished her memory, your manner of doing it was a thing 
of little consequence ? 

My dear friend, I well know that all rites and forms 
are vain, without a contrite and believing heart. Yet 
the heart cannot fail to influence the practice. " A good 
man, out of the good treasure of his hearty bringeth 
forth good things ; and an evil man, out of the evil 
treasure, bringeth forth evil things." If you have love 
to Christ, how can you forbear to manifest it by your 
actions 7 Comparatively small things become important 
when they indicate the state of the inner man. A 
feather, or a withered leaf, may be useful to show the 
direction of the wind. In some instances, positive insti- 
tutions may be of more consequence to evince the 
strength of the principle of obedience, than requisitions 
which are wholly of a moral kind ; because the latter 
are of such a nature as to commend themselves to the 
conscience of every man, whether he be a saint or an 
infidel. David Hume doubtless admitted the reason- 
ableness of the precepts in the second table of the law ; 
while he ridiculed those bloody sacrifices which had a 
typical reference to the Saviour. While superstition lays 
undue stress on cereriionial observances, infidelity affects 
a regard to morality, at the expense of all the peculiar 
formalities of religious trust, veneration, and worship. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 79 

Is there nothing of the latter spirit in what is sometimes 
said to justify inattention to divine ordinances? 

" ReHgion does not consist in external observances." 
Very true. Neither does it consist in chastity, nor in 
what is usually called moral honesty in our dealings. 
But what kind of religion is that, which is conjoined 
with gross impurity, frauds, thefts, and robberies ? 

The declarative glory of God is intimately con- 
cerned in the holy lives of his people. " Herein," says 
Jesus, "is my Father glorified^ that ye bear much 
fruit ; so shall ye be." or prove yourselves to be, " my 
disciples." Much fruit ! What fruit can there be? 
where there is no visible separation from the world, 
no public consecration of one's self to the service of 
God? I invite my children to eat with me at my 
table ; they disregard my invitation ; but join my 
avowed enemies in their feasts and their amusements. 
Are such the legitimate " fruits " of fihal reverence and 
love? 

A Cbfistian has received from the Redeemer inesti- 
mable benefits ; and gratitude most assuredly requires a 
disposition to acknowledge and honour this great Deliv- 
erer, by all the modes which he has declared to be 
agreeable to his will. For you he was made flesh, and 
obeyed the law which you had broken, and suffered and 
died upon the accursed tree. Such was the love he 
bore you. Recollect 5^our numerous provocations, your 
innate selfishness and pride, your worldliness, your in- 
sensibility to his mercies and his frowns, your profanations 
of his Sabbaths, your resistance of all his endearing 
calls, your wicked excuses, your opposition to the methods 
of his grace, and all the overt transgressions of your 
life. How many millions of times have you virtually 



80 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

joined the wretches who crucified him, and trampled 
his sacred body under your feet. Yet, being intent on 
your salvation, he would not permit you always to go 
on in hardened impenitence. He awakened you, con- 
vinced you of your sin, and, if your heart deceive you 
not, turned you from darkness to light, and from the 
power of Satan unto God. When he saw you weltering 
in your blood, he pitied you, and spread over you the 
mantle of his forgiving love, and said unto you, " Live." 
To express your sense of obligation to him for his rich, 
recovering mercy, he calls upon you to avow your confi- 
dence in him before the world, to join yourself to his 
people, and to participate in the provisions which he has 
prepared for his friends, in his own house. And can 
you refuse compliance with his calls? Does not your 
heart cry, " Lord Jesus, I come ; let me sit beneath the 
shadow of thy cross ; let me feel the resistless power of 
thy grace ; O let me live, let me die to thee? " 

If you come to his table with those affections and 
purposes which he has required, you will find your joy 
increased, and all your graces invigorated. If the 
Christian is ever raised above the world, and allowed 
peculiar discoveries of the glories within the veil, it is 
when, withdrawn from all earthly occupations and plea- 
sures, he holds communion in the holy supper, with a 
once dying, but now glorified Saviour. I can assure 
you that 1 have never known so much of heaven upon 
earth, as when I have sat in company with my older 
brethren, and converts received for the first time to the 
Christian feast, around the board of our Master ; and 
thanked him, and sought his favour, and partaken of 
the memorials of his body and blood, and found his 
banner over us to be love. 

Besides, the advantages derived from the watch and 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 81 

kind reproof of those with whom we are in covenant, 
are very great ; and cannot be despised by any, who 
desire to be eminently holy, and appreciate the influence 
of mutual faithfulness among Christians, in the prose- 
cution of that great work which is to be their chief 
pursuit in life. 

The Church, my dear sir, is waiting to receive you. 
The Lord's people would not only bid you welcome to 
their privileges, but find their own faith strengthened on 
witnessing the evidence which you would thus give of 
the genuineness of yours. By performing your duty, 
you would help to remove occasion for the cavils of op- 
posers of the Gospel ; and increase your own power of 
doing good to an impenitent world. It would be seen 
that you had, in the most public and solemn manner, 
committed yourself for life, to the cause of God ; a sense 
of the inspection of others would serve to restrain you, 
and excite you to duty ; and if your motives were up- 
right, you would secure the blessing of Him, who 
delights to reward, by his smiles, the obedience of his 
children. 

Christ has, indeed, warned you against copying the 
folly of the man who began to build, without computing 
the expense of the undertaking, or forming a just esti- 
mate of his own resources. Remember that your suffi- 
ciency is of God. You can do all things through 
Christ, who strengtheneth you. 

" Beware of Peter's word, 

Nor confidently say, 

' I never will deny the Lord,' 

But * grant 1 never may,' 

Man's wisdom is to seek 

His strength in God alone, 

And e'en an angel would be weak. 

Who trusted to his own. 



82 PRACTICAL RELIGION 

Retreat beneath his wings, 

And in his grace confide ; 

This more exalts the King of kings 

Than all your works beside." 



Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER X. 



ON DOING GOOD 



My dear Friend^ 

Selfishness has become the character of fallen 
man. He lays his plans, he feels, he acts, for himself^ 
with an utter indifference, at least, to the Divine glory, 
and the good of universal being ; and so far as these 
great objects counteract his governing purpose, he puts 
in requisition all his powers to oppose them. He loves 
his family, his friends, his country, and the religious de- 
nomination to which he belongs, because they are his ; 
and he sacrifices the strongest instinctive sympathies, 
which urge him to pity and reHeve the wretched, when 
their indulgence would thwart that which is the com- 
manding motive of his life — self-gratification. 

Grace imparts to man a new principle. It teaches him 
to go out of himself for his richest enjoyment, and to 
be blest in the communication of good, rather than in 
hoarding all for his individual advantage. 

You have, I trust, felt the benevolent tendency of that 
new nature, which is produced in regeneration. I am 
now to urge upon you the sedulous cultivation of that 
disinterested spirit, which God has given you ; which, 
though sincere, is yet feeble ; and which is surrounded by 
influences without and within you, adapted to impede its 
operations and stint its growth. Goodness here is like a 
stranger in an enemy's land ; it is hated and deserted by 
the great body of human beings ; and all its nutriment 



84 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

is derived from a " hidden manna," and streams, noise- 
less and unseen, which issue from the throne of God 
and the Lamb. You are yourself but partially holy ; 
and all the remaining sin in your breast will strenuously 
contend for the mastery against your better affections 
and purposes. 

Be it the great business of your life^ in connexion 
with pleasing God^ and working out your own sal- 
vation^ to do good to your felloiv-creatures. 

The provision, which it is proper you should seek to 
secure for your own support and comfort, is to be regarded, 
not so much an object by itself^ as one pertaining to 
the great system of beneficent agency, in which you are 
to engage. He who feeds others, must himself be fed. 
He who is destitute of means, or who exhausts those 
which he possesses, without regard to economy, will be 
likely to reduce himself to a dependance on public chari- 
ty ; and were all to pursue the same course, poverty and 
wretchedness would become the common state, and not 
the exception. Were all beggars, there would be none 
to relieve their wants. He, who was infinitely rich, once 
said, '' Gather up the fragments which remain, that 
nothing be lost." 

Remember that the Christian motto is, " None of us 
liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." 

Beneficent action is strongly recommended by the 
example of our heavenly Father. We can conceive of 
no other motive than pure love, or a delight to communi- 
cate happiness, which could have induced him to act 
in the production of effects without himself. He was 
eternally independent in all his attributes ; and he did not 
need other existences to add to his greatness and glory. 
Possessed of such boundless resources in himself, he 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 85 

Would have continued forever, had his character been 
selfish, hke ours, wrapped in the solitary grandeur of hig 
conscious omnipotence, and infinite knowledge. What 
to him are millions of worlds ? Selfish beings act, be- 
cause they have no sufficiency in themselves : they are 
restless, because their powers are hmited ; ihey seek 
the society of others, because there is a dearth of en- 
joyment in their own bosoms. Is it so with God? 
" Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recom- 
pensed to him again 1 For of him, and through him, 
and to him, are all things : To whom be glory, forever. 
Amen." 

The effects of his agency accord with his general 
design in all his works. He is ceaselessly employed — 
preserving and governing all things, through all the 
realms of matter and of mind. While all the heavenly 
orbs revolve at his bidding, and cherubim and seraphim 
live on his smiles, he forms and purifies the atmosphere ; 
he diffuses the light ; he clothes the earth with the fruits 
of his liberality ; he arrays all nature in beauty and mag- 
nificence, for the sustenance and comfort of rebellious 
man. While he spreads his gorgeous colours on the 
cloud, and paints the tulip and the rose ; he hears the 
cry of the young raven, and the moaning of the dove ; 
and nurses the infant insect and the worm. Untiring 
goodness encircles and blesses the universe, formed by 
his hand, and proclaiming, through all its apartments, 
the praises of its Maker. Imitate, according to your 
humble capacity, his munificence, and thus make it ap- 
parent, that you are a child of his grace, and a " parta- 
ker of the divine nature." 

Love, you know, is the great commandment of the 
law. Love to God implies complacency in his benevo- 

8 



86 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

Jence ; and complacency will surely prompt to an at- 
tempt at copying tfiat goodness, which is admired* 
Love is not a cold approbation of the judgment and 
the taste ; it is a warm affection, going forth to its object, 
and assimilating itself to the excellence in which it 
delights. 

The love of benevolence to our neighbour, will dispose 
us to devise liberal things for his advantage. It seeketh 
not its own. Its very element is self denying kindness* 
It makes the heaviest burdens light ; gives joyful speed 
to the wearied hmbs ; and mingles thanksgivings with 
the costhest sacrifices. " If a brother or sister be naked, 
and destitute of daily food ; and one of you say unto 
them. Depart in peace, be ye warmed, and filled ; not- 
withstanding ye give them not those things which are 
needful to the body ; what doth it profit?" — " But who- 
so hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, 
and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how 
dwelleth the love of God in him ? " 

The Christian cannot fail to be influenced by the ex- 
ample of his divine Master. And what was that exam- 
ple ? " Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became 
poor, that we, through his poverty, might be rich." The 
concise description of his life was, " Who went about 
doing goodP Obedience to God, and beneficence to- 
wards men, w^ere his meat and his drink. " The Spirit 
of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath 
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek : he 
hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted ; to proclaim 
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to 
them that are bound." — '' The Son of man came not to 
be ministered unto, but to minister, and give his life a 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 87 

ransom for many." — '' He was wounded for our transgres- 
sions ; he was bruised for our iniquities : the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we are 
healed." — " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest 
the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, 
how often would I have gathered thy children together, 
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, 
and ye would not ? " I quote the very words of Scrip- 
ture, on this subject, because none can be so pertinent — 
none so affecting. The language of inspiration alone 
can do justice to that unrivalled goodness, which brought 
the Son of God from his throne of glory to the manger 
and the bloody cross. And can his disciples be content 
to live only for themselves? Can they who have been 
bought by his precious blood, feel as if they might well 
be selfish, caring for nothing but their deliverance from 
hell, and their crown of glory which will never fade 
away? 

Beneficence is the employment of the noblest created 
beings. The apostate angels delight in nothing but the 
propagation of sin and misery. They would see all in- 
telligent creatures as degraded, as worthless, as wretch- 
ed, as themselves ; and it is the source of their supreme 
disquietude that they can never balk the designs, nor mar 
the felicity of Him, who is infinitely good. It is the joy of 
the elect angels, on th3 contrary, to be continually employ- 
ed in acts of heavenly charity. They bless God, when a 
single sinner repents ; they gather around the departing 
spirit of a sainted Lazarus, and bear it in their arms to the 
abodes of glory ; they roll away the stone from the door 
of the Redeemer's sepulchre ; and exultingly shout his 
praises, as he returns laden with the spoils of death to his 
fathers courts. " Are they not all ministering spirits, 



88 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of sal- 
vation ? " 

Look at the prophets and apostles. They lived for 
the glory of God, and the good of others. " We are 
made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to 
men. We are fools for Christ's sake. Even unto this 
present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, 
and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place, 
and labour, working w4th our hands : Being reviled, 
we bless ; being persecuted, we suffer it ; being defamed, 
we entreat : We are made as the filth of the world, and 
are the offscouring of all things." What was the spring 
of these self-denying toils ? Was it ambition, or the hope 
of gain, or obstinacy of disposition ? " Whether we be 
beside ourselves, it is to God ; or whether we be sober, 
it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth 
us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then 
were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which 
live should not henceforth live to themselves, but unto 
him which died for them, and rose again." 

The same spirit has actuated good men in all later 
ages. What but this, armed Luther with unconquera- 
ble courage — disposed Howard to " plunge into the in- 
fections of hospitals, and take the gauge and dimensions 
of misery" in every land — sustained Brainerd among 
the poor Indians of the wilderness — and sent forth White- 
field, amidst good report and evil report, to awaken a 
slumbering world ? It is the spirit of that poor widow, 
who has no more than her two mites to give, but 
who cries, amidst broken sobs and tears, " Holy Father, 
pity the nations ; thy kingdom come, and thy will be 
done in earth as it is in heaven." 

True gratitude to God for his inestimable love, cannot 
but dispose us to make some returns, by doing good to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 89 

his creatures, for his sake. "Freely ye have received, 
freely give." — " And be ye kind one to another, tender- 
hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's 
sake, hath forgiven you." — " Be ye followers of God as 
dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved 
us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a 
sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." — " Beloved, 
if God so loved uSj we ought also to love one another." 
That selfish gladness, which arises on the reception of 
benefits, and which may, perhaps, vent itself in occasional 
acknowledgments, is not worthy of the name of grati- 
tude. True gratitude is a most generous passion ; it 
would monopolize nothing; it would have the whole 
world participate in its blessedness. It is not the joy of 
the voluptuary, who can conceive of no fehcity equal to 
the indulgence of his appetites ; it is not the joy of the 
ambitious man, who sits in triumph amidst his laurels, 
or sends forward his imagination to other eminences, he 
hopes, as yet, to ascend ; it is not the joy of the pros^ 
perous miser, who is adding to his farms, and sweUing 
his coffers ; who is never unmindful of his pecuniary 
interests ; who hugs his notes, bonds, and mortgages, as 
if they could secure to him a title to the glories of Para- 
dise. If gratitude has all the gentleness of an angel, 
it has more than an angel's power. It subdues envy, 
and conquers avarice, and opens the sluices of all the 
kind affections. It is as a sun, to chase away the dark- 
ness of the soul ; as a genial flame, to thaw down the ices 
of the heart ; as a fragrant breeze, scattering odors and 
epices from all its wings. 

There are constant opportunities to be useful to others. 

The poor we have always with us : and whenever we 

will, we may do them good. There arc those oppressed 

by sickness, or age, or poverty, to whom the voice of 

8* 



90 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

charity will be the sweetest music. There are the na- 
ked to be clothed ; the hungry to be fed ; and the 
widow and fatherless to be pitied, advised, and protect- 
ed. There are the ignorant to be enhghtened ; and the 
vicious to be attracted into the path of virtue. There are 
benevolent institutions to be encouraged ; the young to 
be instructed ; immorality and error suppressed ; Chris- 
tian intelligence and principles to be diffused at home ; 
and the blessings of the Gospel to be communicated to all 
nations. There are multitudes of sinners on every side, 
travelling, unconcerned, towards the chambers of eternal 
death, who must soon be persuaded to pause in their ca- 
reer of folly and of guilt or be awakened to a knowledge of 
their state^ when the conviction will but serve to over- 
whelm them with all the horrors of despair. 

All mankind are our brethren. They have the same 
common origin with us ; possess the same intellectual 
and moral faculties ; inherit the same depravity ; need 
the same recovering grace ; are bound by the same law ; 
and are hastening to the same dread tribunal. To de- 
spise or hate any of them, is to despise or hate our own 
flesh. The reasonableness and necessity of sympathetic 
kindness among children of the same family, all are 
prepared to admit ; and coldness, or quarrels, among 
those BO intimately related, are regarded as both shameful 
and unnatural. "Have we not all one Father ? hath not 
one God created us ?" 

The luxury of doing good is proverbial. No pearls 
are half so fair as the tears of grateful joy, shed on the 
bosom of a benefactor ; no voice is so melodious to the 
ear as that of him, who can tell you of wants relieved, 
and a heart made to overflow with gladness, through 
your bounty. The chief pleasures of true benevolence, 
indeed, are wholly independent of the gratitude, or in- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 91 

gratitude, of those, to whom it extends its aid. In the 
interior recesses of the soul, it sits alone, and smiles, de- 
siring no other reward than the assurance that good has 
been conferred on the needy, and that its designs and 
acts are approved by the great Judge of all. He who 
can forget himself in his generous concern for others, en- 
larges the sphere of his enjoyment, in proportion to the 
number and value of the objects to which his care goes 
forth, in the yearnings of its tenderness. Who was a 
happier man than Paul ? "I have coveted no man's 
silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, 
that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, 
and to them that were with me. I have showed you all 
things, how that, so labouring, ye ought to support 
the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord 
Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to 
receive." 

Christian beneficence adds strength to all holy dis- 
positions ; and, in this manner, facilitates the soul's 
actual preparation for her eternal rest. To it, also, 
is promised, a glorious, though gracious reward, in 
the world of future being. " Make to yourselves friends 
of the mammon of unrighteousness," or by means 
of your worldly possessions, " that, when ye fail, they 
may receive you into everlasting habitations." "Ire- 
collect," says the eloquent Saurin, " an epitaph, said 
to be engraven on the tomb of Atolus of Rheims, — 
' He exported his fortune before him into heaven by 
his charities : he is gone thither to enjoy it.' Happy 
he who has a right to such an epitaph." 

Desire and labour to be a blessing to others, in the 
greatest possible degree. Live not for yourself, but 
for God, for the redeemed Church, and for a guilty and 
and dying world. Pray continually, that your heart 



92 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

may be enlarged with a genuine philanthropy ; and 
that you may be directed to such places and pursuits, 
as will secure to you the best advantages for useful- 
ness. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon, 



LETTER XL 

ON THE RIGHT USE OF PROPERTY. 

My dear Friend^ 

Extravagant notions have sometimes been en- 
tertained concerning the duty of ahusgiving. Some have 
regarded it as comprehending abnost the whole of rebgion ; 
and others have maintained that every man's property 
should be considered as a kind of common stock, to be 
promptly and unreservedly divided among the race ac- 
cording to their respective necessities. This latter notion, 
though sanctified by the name of piety, amounts to little 
else than that agrarian equality, which it is the professed 
object of the lowest class of infidels to promote, and 
M^hich some fanatical sects have actually attempted to 
realize within the narrow limits of their own commu- 
nities. Such a project would be utterly inconsistent 
with the necessary condition of society in this world ; a 
due respect for the institution of marriage ; and the divi- 
sion of mankind into families, each of which must of 
course be peculiarly dependant on the care of its parents 
or constituted guardians. 

The doctrine of voluntary poverty, however sanc- 
tioned by Brahminical superstition, or monastic zeal, has 
no warrant in the Scriptures, where men are required to 
provide for their own, and where the right of property is 
affirmed in the divinely appointed laws of the Jewish 
commonwealth, in all the prohibitions of theft, and in 
all the precepts enjoining charity on the opulent. The 
patriarchs, the pious kings of Judah, and a number of 



94 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

distinguished Ciiristians mentioned in the New Testa- 
ment, were men of wealth ; nor does the pen of inspi- 
ration stigmatize them as hypocrites, because they did 
not at once alienate all their possessions. The sin of 
Ananias and Sapphira was hypocrisy, in withholding 
what they professed to cast into the treasury of the 
Lord, and what, but for their vow and profession, they 
might rightfully have retained for their own use. " Why 
hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, 
and to keep back part of the price of the land ? Whiles 
it remained, was it not thine ow^n ? and after it w^as sold, 
was it not in thine own power ? Thou hast not lied 
unto men but unto God." They sought the reputation, 
without the expense, of distinguished liberality. 

Criminal as the love of luxurious indulgence and 
splendour certainly is, it is nevertheless right that we 
should enjoy with temperance and moderation the boun- 
ties which a kind Providence has bestowed upon us. 
God has not given us " the finest of the wheat," and 
then forbidden us to use it. He has not provided for us 
the delicate fleece or the rich products of the silk- worm, 
and then required us to wear only sackcloth, and the un- 
dressed skins of animals. He has not supplied us with 
materials for the erection of convenient houses, and then 
made it our duty to inhabit the smoky wigwam, and the 
mountain cave. " For every creature of God is good, 
and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanks- 
giving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and 
prayer." 

We promote the well-being of society by encouraging 
those arts which multiply the means of innocent enjoy- 
ment. But if we are allowed to have no capital, it will 
not be in our power to encourage them. Make it the 
duty of every man to spend all his earnings iii charity, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 95 

except what are used in purchasing bare necessaries, 
and nothing will be left to procure the luxuries, or even 
the superior conveniences of life. We can live, without 
tables and chairs, as well as without mirrors and watches ; 
and find substantial nourishment in the coarsest food, 
no less than in viands obtained and prepared at far 
greater expense. Should some one cry " Away with 
your tasteful furniture and w^ell-ordered meals, do you 
not see that the heathen are sinking into hell, for want 
of instruction ? and can you employ that money, which 
might save them, for so sensual and unw^orthy a pur- 
pose ? " — it would be sufficient to reply, I am not bound 
to make myself a barbarian, because others are un- 
enlightened ; and were all such comforts as I enjoy, to 
be dismissed by myself and others, it would be but a 
little time before Christian countries would be in a state 
as degraded as that of the heathen. The arts are inti- 
mately connected with each other. Reject the work of 
the cabinet-maker, and the manufacturer of china-ware ; 
and you not only throw multitudes of honest men out of 
employment, but you virtually set yourself against the 
trades of all the mechanics in Christendom. As skill in 
every trade is promoted by competition, it will soon 
follow, if no elegant shoes and garments are made, 
that we shall have no good ones ; if we have no books 
of superior typography and binding, we shall have 
none which will be comfortable to the eye, or even, per- 
liaps, legible. What then, will ultimately beconje of 
learning, and religion too ? 

Not a little of the business of the world, requires 
capital ; and to give all away, in such cases, would be 
the same thing as to annihilate ihe business itself. 

It is better for the world, that men should hold the 
means of supporting and educating (heir own children, 



96 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

than that these duties should devolve on strangers, or 
the public at large. To parents, the care of their off- 
spring is peculiarly committed ; and it is hardly possible 
that their deficiencies should be supplied by the vigilance, 
kindness, and liberality of others. Besides, if all neglect 
to lay up provision against future contingencies, where 
will the means be found of sustaining and instructing 
the rising generation ? 

I have thus endeavoured to guard you against one of 
the extremes of opinion, on a most momentous subject. 
Unquahfied statements here, injure, rather than aid the 
cause of charity ; in the view of such as perceive the un- 
tenableness of the positions assumed. The following are 
some of the facts and principles, which should guide 
you in the use of your property. 

It is all God's. He gave you the talents needful for 
the acquisition ; and his blessing insured the success. He 
declares that the earth is his, and the fulness thereof; and 
he claims the right of bestowing its riches, its honours, and 
all its various distinctions, upon whomsoever he pleases* 
" Thou shalt rememember the Lord thy God : for it is He 
that giveth thee power to get w^ealth." — '' Except the Lord 
build the house, they labour in vain that build it ; except 
the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the 
bread of sorrows ; for so he giveth his beloved sleep." — 
" The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the 
Lord of hosts." God treats the world and all which it 
contains, as its sovereign Proprietor. He formed, and 
he manages it, for his own glory ; and when it shall 
seem good in his sight, he will assert his supreme right 
to it, by consuming it in the fires of the last conflagra- 
tion. Even now, he makes distinctions among his crea- 
tures ; exalts one, and abases another ; wounds and 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 97 

heals, kills and makes alive ; according to the counsel of 
his own adorable will. " The Lord," said the grateful 
Hannah, " maketh poor, and maketh rich ; He bringeth 
low, and Ufteth up : He raiseth up the poor out of the 
dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set 
them among princes, and to make them inherit the 
throne of glory." — " And all the inhabitants of the earth," 
said the humbled King of Babylon, " are reputed as 
nothing: and he doeth according to his will, in the 
army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the 
earth : and none can stay his hand, or say unto Him, 
What doest thou ? " 

All your mercies have been 'procured at the price 
of ImrnanueVs Mood. Had strict justice exacted its 
claims upon you, not a morsel of food had been placed 
within your reach; not a refreshing breath of air had 
expanded your lungs ; not a ray of light had visited 
your dark abode — but you had been excluded from hope, 
and doomed to torments unmixed and without end. 
Oh, what a condition yours had been, but for the inter- 
position, the agonizing death of the Son of God ! All 
your comforts were on the wing — and his expiring 
groans recalled them. The sun was unwiUing to shine 
upon you ; the earth refused to bear its fruits for your 
support ; nature was intent on crushing you ; and hell 
opened wide its mouth toswallowyou up forever; — when 
lo, the voice of mercy sounded from Calvary : " Spare 
the rebel, give him health and strength ; surround, over- 
whelm him with blessings, offer him a free salvation^ 
that he may repent, be pardoned, and live eternally in 
the presence of his God." Every shilling, every moment, 
is the donation of that same redeeming love, which 
rescued you from the righteous grasp of an insulted i iw^ 
and from everlasting chains. Will you pre: end then, 

9 



98 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

that you are your own? No, ransomed captive! but 
glorify God with your body and your spirit, which are 
Gods. 

Most manifestly^ you are hound cheerfully to con- 
secrate to Him^ that which is his. When you first 
dedicated yourself to Him, at that sweet moment in 
which you found peace in believing, you felt that you 
had nothing to give, which was not bis already, by 
inalienable right. How did you delight to utter the 
words, " Lord, I am thine ; all 1 am, and all 1 have, 
belong evermore to thee ! " Were you sincere in the 
acknowledgments and protestations which you then 
made ? or did you speak without meaning ? 

To use your property in any other manner than 
that which he ivarrants or requires, involves the guilt 
of robbing Him, or of a loicked waste of his goods. 
The favours you enjoy are lent, not absolutely given. 
He reserves the right of resuming them at any time ; 
He denominates you his steward ; and assures you that 
He will ultimately call you to an account for your em- 
ployment of all and each of the talents with which He 
intrusts you. What right, then, have you to make use 
of any thing you possess, for your own gratification, 
without supreme respect to the will and glory of your 
Master in heaven ? Would you allow your servant to 
spend, or hoard your money for his own advantage ? 
His duty is to obey your orders ; and should he attempt, 
without your consent, to speculate on your funds, for his 
own benefit, or should he dissipate them in idleness, or 
amusement, you would brand him as a thief — and 
instantly dismiss him from your employment. The 
language 1 use, in reference to a perveision of God's 
gifts, is not harsher than that which I find in his own 
word, " Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 99 

But ye say, Whereia have we robbed thee 7 In tithes 
and offerings ; " that is, in those contributions which were 
required by the law, for the support of religious worship. 
"Give unto the Lord, the glory due unto his name." — 
" Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the 
first fruits of all thine increase ; so shall thy barns be 
filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with 
new wine.'* 

God requires you to make your worldly possessions 
contribute^ as far as possible^ to the instruction^ vir- 
tue and happiness of your species. Besides the tenth 
which the children of Israel were commanded to devote 
to the Lord, for the maintenance of the tribe of Levi ; 
their numerous sacrifices and offerings ; their expenses 
incurred by visiting the place where the ark abode, three 
times in a year ; the rest of the seventh year ; and the 
restoration of property, which had been sold, to its original 
owners, in the year of jubilee ; ample provision was made 
by the law for the relief of the needy of every description. 
" Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to 
thy poor, and to thy needy in thy land." — " Thou shalt 
not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the father- 
less, nor take a widow's raiment to pledge." — '-When thou 
cuttest down thine harvest in the field^ and hast forgot 
a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it ; 
it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the 
widow. When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not 
go over the boughs again ; it shall be for the stranger, for 
the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest 
the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after- 
ward ; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and 
for the widow." — " Thou shalt not wholly reap the 
corners of thy field ; neither shalt thou gather the glean- 
ings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy 



100 PnACTICAL RELIGION. 

vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy 
vineyard ; thou shalt leave them to tlie poor and stranger ; 
I am the liord your God." Can you suppose that Chris- 
tians may without sin be less charitable in the use of 
their wealth, than the people of Israel were required to 
be, under the legal economy 'I The dispensation under 
which they lived, was comparatively dark and severe ; 
ours is, in the highest sense, a dispensation of hght and 
mercy, in which God's forgiving grace is exhibited with 
a tenderness adapted to reach and subdue the hardest 
heart. And is it credible, that, under this dispensation, 
men are in any degree released from their obligations to 
do good to their breihren ? 

Take the following as a specimen of the language of 
the New Testament on this subject : " Give to every one 
that asketh thee ; and of him that taketh away thy 
goods, ask them not again." — "Do good, and lend, 
hoping for nothing again."— " Give, and it shall be 
given unto you ; good measure, pressed down, and 
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into 
your bosom." — " But rather give alms of such things as 
ye have, and, behold all things are clean unto you." — 
*' Sell that ye have, and give alms ; provide yourselves 
bags, which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens, that 
faileth not." — " When thou makest a dinner, or a supper, 
call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kins- 
men, nor thy rich neighbours ; lest they also bid thee 
again, and a recompense be made thee. But v/hen 
thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, 
the blind : and thou shalt be blessed ; for they cannot 
recompense thee : for thou shalt be recompensed at the 
resurrection of the just." — "As we have therefore oppor- 
tunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them 
who are of the household of faith." — " Distributing to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 101 

the necessity of saints."—'' Every man, according as he 
purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, 
or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver." — 
" Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be 
not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in 
the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ; 
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready 
to distribute, willing to communicate ; laying up in 
store for themselves a good foundation against the time 
to come." — " But to do good, and to communicate, forget 
not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." 

From these passages it is plain, that a charitable use 
of property, is as necessary to evangelical piety, as is 
private prayer, the reading of the Scriptures, or attend- 
ance on the public ordinances of the Gospel. 

The precise proportion of our income which should be 
devoted to charity, is not specified in the New Testament ; 
but each should give according to his ability, remember- 
ing that he holds all which he possesses, by the suffer- 
ance of his Maker. Every one, of course, must limit 
his gifts by his means, his peculiar circumstances, and 
the number and wants of those, who are necessarily 
dependant on Him for instruction or support. Yet no 
one has a right to seek great things for himself, or his 
family ; or to harden his heart against the cries of those 
who are in need. 

Christians should give more than would otherwise 
he their duty^ because the greater part of the xoealth 
of this world is at present in the hands of loicked 
men, who live only for themselves. Without great 
sacrifices on the part of the Church, the poor will con- 
tinue unsupplie:! with what is requisite for their com- 
fort ; the ignorant, unenlightened ; the vicious unre- 
claimed ; and millions of immortal beings, at home and 

9* 



102 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

abroad, will rush on, unwarned, to the gates of endless 
death. 

In view of all the foregoing facts and reasonings, I 
hope you will learn to regard it as a privilege, that you 
are pernaitted to contribute of your substance, to promote 
the temporal and eternal welfare of mankind. Some 
are distressed or offended, whenever an appeal is made 
to their liberality. From an agent in behalf of any 
good cause, they sullenly turn with an averted eye ; or, 
if they make any donation, it is to rid thewnselves of 
disagreeable importunity, or to quiet conscience, or to 
escape the censure, or gain the praises of others. Never 
be sorry that any good object comes before you, soliciting 
your aid. If you are actually unable to give in any 
specified case, say so ; but then gay it kindly ; and if 
the cause presented to you be a worthy one, contribute 
to it your influence and your prayers, though you can at 
the time command no pecuniary means for its support. 
If Jesus Christ, in the person of a disciple, come begging 
at your door, let him have, at least, your gentle words, 
and your benevolent looks ; and turn him not rudely 
away, as if he were a common vagrant, a lying drunk- 
ard, or a robber. 

Vi'SiCiise frugality, that you may have the means of 
relieving the needy. Profuse expenditure for one's private 
gratification, is unworthy of a man who professes to live 
not for himself; while it abridges his power of doing 
good, it cherishes those habits, which, more than any 
other, tend to the extinguishment of every generous 
feeling in the breast. 

Aquinas avows himself a great enemy of meanness ; 
he wonders at the folly of those who set any value on 
money ; he is a most powerful advocate for liberal deeds 
in others ; and to hear his conversation, you would sup- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 103 

pose him a second Thornton, or Howard. What then, 
has Aquinas done for the benefit of the children of suffer- 
ing ? What widow's heart has he caused to sing for joy ? 
What orphan has he instructed, guided, and made happy? 
To what dying heathen has he sent the bread and v/ater 
of hfe ? He has talked largely ; but as it regards his mo- 
ney, he has had so many wants of his own, that, with the 
exception of, occasionally, a paltrypittance,hehaslaid it all 
out for the comfort, or the amusement, of his own dear 
self. He blames others, whose charities, in proportion 
to their income, are ten times greater than his, because, 
forsooth, by prudent management, they have been able 
to escape the cares and temptations of a state of poverty. 
The want of economy is like a perpetual drain of waters, 
scarcely perceptible perhaps, yet leaving none to accu- 
mulate, that they may irrigate and enrich the neigh- 
bouring meadows. 

The preceding remarks may help in part to explain 
the reason of the frequent warnings of Scripture on 
the danger of riches. '' Verily 1 say unto you, That a 
rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to 
enter into the kingdom of God." Riches are often ac- 
quired by injustice, or at least by a regardlessness of the 
wants of others ; they are too generally used for selfish 
purposes ; and, in the great majority of instances, they 
become the occasion of pride, increase hard-hearted- 
ness. and strengthen all those worldly principles which 
are in direct hostility to the meek and self-denying 
spirit of the Gospel. Covet not wealth then ; but be 
industrious and economical, that you may not be your- 
self a burden to others, and that it may be in your pow- 
er to aid those who are proper objects of charity. 



104 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

How dreadful will be the final account of those, who, 
possessing abundance, stop their ears against the cries of 
the necessitous, and the groans of a perishing world. 
Who can bear the thought of meeting the reproaches of 
lost millions, for utter selfishness and cruelty, at the dread 
tribunal of God ! If you would form some just estimate 
of the excellence of true benevolence, and the guilt of 
withholding charitable assistance from those to whom it 
is due ; read, 1 pray you, the Saviour's description of the 
last judgment, in Matt. xxv. 31 — 46. 

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both 
minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed 
sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness." 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XII. 

ON PERSONAL EFFORTS FOR THE SALVATION OF 
SINNERS. 

My dear Friend, 

You have learned, I trust, to pity those who are 
yet in their sins, and to carry them, by faith and prayer, 
to Him who alone can save them. From the knowledge 
you have obtained of your own heart, and from the ex- 
press declarations of Scripture, you feel assured that all 
impenitent men are destitute of holiness, the enemies of 
God, and heirs of endless perdition. The thought has 
produced in your mind unutterable solemnity, as you 
have looked around upon your unconverted neighbours, 
and contemplated the hundreds of millions in the world, 
who are living in ignorance of themselves, of Christ, and 
of salvation. You have, at times, been able to adopt 
the strong language of the ancient saints, as your own : 
'< Rivers of waters run down mine eyes ; because they 
keep not thy law." — " Horror hath taken 'hold upon me, 
because of the wicked that forsake thy law." — '• Oh that 
my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, 
that I might weep day and night for the slain of the 
daughter of my people." — " I say the truth in Christ, I 
lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the 
Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual 
sorrow in my heart. For 1 could wish that myself were 
accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen ac- 
cording to the flesh." 

With these views and feehngs, you have naturally 



106 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

been led to inquire wiiat you ought to do for the salva- 
tion of those around you, to whom you may have direct 
access, and over whom you can hardly fail to exert an 
influence As the excellency of the power in conversion 
is wholly of God, will he allow you any instrumentality 
in this great work ? Or, must you idly sit down, in 
view of the wastes of sin and death, waiting for him to 
array them, in his own good time, with Hfe, and beauty, 
and joy 1 

The Scriptures most plainly inculcate the doctrine, 
that it is the will of God his children — though they have 
no sufficiency of their own — should be fellow-labourers 
with him in building up his kingdom. He declares 
himself to be the hearer of prayer ; and requires them to 
recommend, by all proper modes, his rehgion to the at- 
tention and acceptance of mankind. " Ye are the salt 
of the earth," says Jesus to his disciples ; " but if the 
salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted 1 
Ye are the light of the world. Let your light so shine 
before men, that they may see your good works, and 
glorify your Father which is in heaven." — " But if all 
prophesy," says Paul, " and there come in one that be- 
lieveth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is 
judged of all : And thus are the secrets of his heart made 
manifest ; and so falling down on his face, he will wor- 
ship God, and report that God is in you of a truth " — 
"Brethren," says James, " if any of you do err from the 
truth, and one convert him. let him know, that he which 
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save 
a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." 
That you have something to do, then, besides employing 
yourself in prayer, to accomplish the salvation of others, 
is undeniable. 

I will notice some of the means, which you ought to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 107 

use, for this most important purpose, premising, first of 
all, that every thing you do should be undertaken with a 
deep conviction of your utter helplessness and depen- 
dance ; with a disposition to look constantly to God, to di- 
rect you, and give you success ; and with a jealousy of 
your own heart, lest you should be tempted to arrogate 
to yourself some portion of the glory due to that Almighty 
Spirit, whose voice alone can quicken the dead. If it 
was remarked that a heathen general began to be unfor- 
tunate fiom the time that he said, " The gods and I 
have gained a glorious victory ; " how should you ex- 
pect the frowns of the Most High, if you think of divid- 
ing with him the praise of subduing sinners to the obe- 
dience of the faith ? 

Do what you can to persuade impe7iitent wen to 
attend regularly on the appointed means of grace. 

There are many in this Christian land, and some in 
your immediate neighbourhood, who habitually neglect 
the worship of the sanctuary, and who, of course, incur 
the peculiar guilt and danger of such as are without 
instruction, and despise the ordinances of God. Though 
the mere hearers of the word must perish, yet surely 
there is little hope for those, who refuse to place them- 
selves under the sound of the Gospel. Had not Zac- 
cheus put himself in the way as the Saviour was passing 
by, we have no reason to suppose that he would have 
found mercy. " It pleased God by the foolishness of 
preachings io save them that believe." — "How then 
shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? 
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have 
not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? 
So, then, faith comeih by hearing, and hearing by the 
word of God. ' Honour the divine ordinance of preach- 
ing, by manifesting a practical conviction of its immense 



108 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

importance; to the spiritual illumination and renewal of 
lost men. It is the pleasure of Christ, that the evangelical 
ministry should be continued to the end of time ; and wo 
to those who undervalue it, or who would substitute 
their own projects, or moral machinery, for this mighty 
engine of Heaven's appointment. Experience will, 
sooner or later, show, that their wisdom is folly ; and 
that nothing less than a strict adherence to the scriptural 
method of advancing the Redeemer's cause, will keep 
alive the spirit of piety, or prevent religion from degene- 
rating into fanaticism, or infidelity. The history of 
those sects who have thought lightly of a regular and 
spiritual clergy, affords a most affecting comment on the- 
evil of exalting human inventions, above institutions 
which derive their warrant from the express designation 
of Christ. 

Assist in the distribution of religious tracts, and 
other useful publications. The press is a mighty instru- 
ment of corruption, or reformation. It is a swift messen- 
ger, which flies on all the winds, and scatters its life-giving, 
or death-bearing leaves, with a quickness and certainty, 
which make the ordinary vehicles of communication 
seem sluggish and powerless. In the sam'e proportion as 
wicked men employ the press to disseminate error and 
immorality, the friends of righteousness should be ex- 
cited to increased zeal in their endeavours to propagate, 
by means of it, the salutary principles of godliness. Let 
the book, which carries with it the antidote to human de- 
pravity and wo, go, if possible, before the infidel pamphlet, 
or the licentious novel, to every human abode ; or if this 
cannot be, let it at least follow these, with all practicable 
celerity, that they may find an unconquerable antagonist, 
on the very ground they have seized with the design of 
circumventing and destroying the souls of men. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 109 

Tracts have, in thousands of instances, been blessed 
to the conviction and spiritual quickening of sinners. 
Accounts of their efficacy come to us by means of every 
religious journal ; and from all the different quarters of 
the globe. Landsmen and sailors, rich and poor, scoffers 
and those who trusted in their own righteousness for jus- 
tification, have ahke been led, by these silent, unpretend- 
ing ministers of love, to pause, reflect on their folly and 
guilt, and receive by faith, that Saviour, whom, before, 
they had neglected and despised. 

You may find tracts, adapted to every state of mind, 
and to every condition in hfe ; and these may often be 
presented to individuals, without awakening that jea- 
lousy, and giving that offence, which would be occasioned 
by a more direct, personal appeal to their consciences. 
You may drop a tract unobserved, at the door of a house, 
over the threshold of which you would not be permitted 
to pass, were your design known by the inmates ; and, 
while you are occupied in some other field of useful exer- 
tion, its tender, or awakening remonstrances may be 
winding their way into the very recesses of a heart, 
which had always, till that hour, shut out every visitant 
of mercy, seeking its purity and peace. You may leave 
the tract in the hotel, the packet, the steam-boat, on the 
seat of the stage-coach, or on the side-walk ; with the 
prayer and hope, that it may meet some eyes, through 
which it will convey instruction, warning, and life to the 
soul. 

The tract may serve as your letter of introduction ; a 
herald o*bviating prejudices, and affording you facihties, 
that had otherwise been impossible, of favourable access 
to an immortal mind, which, peradventure, will be led to 
holiness and salvation, through the blessing of God, on 
your faithful counsels and prayers. 

10 



110 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

If your circumstances allow you to engage in the un- 
dertaking, you will, I hope, select your district, and regu- 
larly devote yourself to the system of tract distribution, 
which, provided that it be wisely and faithfully con- 
ducted,p r omises more for the evangelization of men, 
than any other measure yet devised, in connexion with 
the tract cause. You ought not to begin this work, 
however, unless it is your purpose to be diligent and per- 
severing ; since you will thus exclude from your district 
some other person, who might have had the time, the 
ability, and the disposition to be eminently useful in this 
labour of love. 

In this service, you will need no common share of both 
zeal and prudence. Zeal will be necessary, that you may 
not be soon discouraged, nor intimidated ; and jprudencey 
that you may not irritate where you should win ; that 
the expedients you adopt may be scriptural and safe ; 
that you may not mistake tears for the relentings of 
penitence ; and that you may be able to distinguish be- 
tween the warm feelings, occasioned by a false conver- 
sion, and the lovely harmony of all those Christian 
graces, whose presence indicates the commencement of 
divine life in the heart. With some, all that glitters in 
religion is genuine gold ; noise is solidity ; and smoke 
is the pure and undying flame, which is kindled by the 
breath of the Almighty. Some are apparently ambitious 
of the name of making converts, and hence they are 
hable to be easily duped by the manifestation of any 
kind of religious feehng. 

It is truly deUghtful to think, that one and another 
have been turned from sin to righteousness, by our instru- 
mentahty ; but, at the same time, there is scarcely any 
thing which ought to be more dreaded than self-decep- 
tion. He who once embraces a false hope of salvation, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. Ill 

will be likely to cherish it till death, or, at least, till his 
Conscience have become so obtuse, that the loss of it will 
occasion in his breast, little solicitude or pain. His dan- 
ger will be the greater, if called at once to the doing of 
those public acts, which belong to a system of benevolent 
agency ; because he will thus find other motives than 
those which are spiritual — as the desire of consistency ; 
a regard to the approbation of others ; and party feel- 
ings to prompt him, for a season, to a course of conduct, 
that shall look Kke the effect of love to God, and to the 
souls of men. Many a person, there is reason to fear, has 
continued to take his part in the Sabbath school, in the 
conference room, and even in the prayer meeting, whose 
Bible was scarcely read at home, and whose closet was a 
cold and deserted place. 

Be it your highest effort to induce sinners to become 
Christians indeed : and tremble, lest any of those for 
whose salvation you pray, should have but a name to 
live, while they are dead. Place in the hands of the 
young convert some searching work on the evidences of 
regeneration ; while you are unwearied in your endea- 
vours to arres-t the attention of the secure, tear from the 
sinner all his vain hopes, and lead the anxious inquirer 
to the foot of the cross. 

Let me say, in general, advise the awakened, and 
those who are beginning to hope for salvation, to visit 
some judicious and faithful minister, to whom they may 
freely disclose their religious exercises, and from whom 
they may expect appropriate counsels and warnings. 
Any preacher, who is worthy of his office, will be pleased 
to see them, under such circumstances ; while, at the 
same time, his words of kindness and fidelity may re- 
solve their doubts, establish their minds in the truth, 
and prove the means of imparting to them that " peace of 



112 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

God which passeth all understanding." What was said 
in Mai. ii. 7, of the priest under the legal dispensation, is 
no less true of the Christian minister, that his '' hps 
should keep knowledge, and they," the people, " should 
seek the law at his mouth." 

God willing, I will resume the general subject of this 
letter in my next. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XIII. 

ON PERSONAL EFFORTS FOR THE SALVATION OP 

SINNERS. 

My dear Priend^ 

After my last letter had been sent, I sat in my 
parlour, thinking of you, and I almost instinctively offer- 
ed the prayer, that our correspondence might prove a rich 
blessing to us both ; and that the exhortations I had just 
given you might be deeply engraven on our hearts. The 
day was unusually pleasant : not a wind was heard, not 
not a cloud was to be seen ; the sun shed his bearns into 
my window, softened by the blinds through which they 
passed ; and I fancied all nature clothed in smiles, and 
lifting its voice in a hymn of praise to its Creator. " How 
good is the Lord ! " was its song ; " how good is the Lord ! " 
my own heart tenderly and strongly replied. ^'And 
shall we not, according to our humble capacity, imitate 
his goodness?" While I was thus buried in pleasing 
and solemn reflections, my little boy, all breathless with 
impatience, rushed into the room, threw himself upon 
my lap, and requested me to listen to the story of his 
wrongs. One of his sisters, he said, had robbed him of 
the toy which he received at my hands the day before ; 
and he earnestly besought me to exert my authority, that 
justice might be done. His feelings were evidently vin- 
dictive ; and I shuddered while I witnessed in his ruddy 
face the expression of those dark passions, which assured 
me that my beloved child was a sinner. After I had 
attempted to soothe him, and earnestly reproved his bad 
10* 



114 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

temper, I fell upon my knees, and ejaculated, " Lord, 
change his heart, and forgive his sins." 

How did a survey of the innumerable evils occasioned 
by the fall distress and overwhelm me ! "This dear 
boy," thought I, " must repent, or be lost. And what is it 
to be lost ? He will exist after yonder luminary of day 
shall have been extinguished, and the heavens rolled 
together as a scroll. Yea, his existence will be commen- 
surate in duration with that of the divine nature itself; 
and his whole eternity will be spent in joy or wailing. 
A single soul, then, is of more value than the whole 
material universe ; and the time will come, when each 
immortal spirit will have enjoyed or suffered more than 
has been, till this moment, enjoyed or suffered by all 
creatures, in all worlds. And still the happiness or the 
misery of this spirit will but have begun. How intense, 
then, should be our desires, our prayers, our labours, to 
rescue souls from the guilt and the pains of endless 
death ! " 

Such was the train of my thoughts ; and you need not 
wonder at the solicitude I consequently felt, that you 
might be induced to live, while you do live, for the eternal 
good of your fellow men. 

Among the efforts lohich should be used for the sal- 
vation of mankind, those pertaining to Sabbath 
school instruction are ^particularly worthy of your 
attention. You may do great good as a teacher. A 
large increase of the number of those who, with Christian 
hearts act in this capacity, is certainly needed ; and you 
will not, I trust, be disposed to excuse yourself from the 
task, without the best reasons. Man}^ a child, many a 
hardened sinner, has been taught to feel his guilt, and to 
inquire what he should do to be saved, in the Sabbath 
school ; and multitudes, doubtless, have there acquired 



PRACTICAL RELiaiON. 115 

that doctrinal knowledge, and those impressions of the 
value of practical religion, which could not be lost, and 
which have in later life become the means of deep 
thoughtfulness and genuine repentance. Many a revival 
of reUgion, which subsequently spread itself through a 
whole congregation^ began in the Sabbath school— and 
perhaps, too, with the youngest of its members. 

There is something in the employment of teaching 
others the momentous truths of the Gospel, adapted to 
awaken spiritual sensibility in a religious mind, and to 
stimulate its powers to contrivances and efforts for the 
everlasting benefit of the pupils to whom its anxieties are 
devoted. 

Would you be a useful teacher, you must prepare 
yourself for your work by previous study and prayer. — 
Some appear to have little conscientiousness in reference 
to their duty in this matter. Satisfying themselves that 
they know more than the children to be taught ; they 
come to their class with ill-furnished heads and cold 
hearts ; and, very possibly, much of what they say is 
cither false or unimportant. 

Examine the best works you can obtain on the sub- 
jects of your lessons. Make yourself familiar with the 
most valuable criticisms which are accessible to the 
English reader, and with the geographical and historical 
illu^rations which throw light on obscure passages of 
Scripture, or enforce some important sentiment. Ima- 
gine yourself surrounded by the scenery, the circumstan- 
ces, and the various associations of the inspired penman. 
Conceive of the blooming hills of Judea, or the plains 
parched by drought, or the terrors of an invasion, or 
the bursting tempest of civil war, or the glad return of 
peace to a lately desolated land. Think of crow^ds of 
curious or infuriated citizens gathering around the man 



116 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

of God; the altars of devils besmeared with human 
blood ; the temple of Jehovah deserted by a degenerate 
nation ; and the groves and mountains v^here his v^on- 
ders had once been seen, resounding with the frantic 
songs and prayers of idolatrous Israelites. Place before 
youj in the most vivid colours possible, the various scenes, 
difficulties and perils in which Christ and his apostles 
laboured, that you may perceive the full force of their 
allusions, and enter into their views of evangelical 
truth. 

Be especially careful to deduce from every text its 
implied or asserted doctrines, and the practical lessons 
which it is designed to convey. 

You may be much assisted in your investigations by 
joining the Bible-class which is taught by your pastor, 
and by free conversation with your associate instructers. 
The unreserved interchange of thoughts in common 
discourse tends more, perhaps, than any thing else, to 
open unexpectedly new trains of reflection ; to elicit 
truths which solitary inquiry could not have discovered ; 
to rectify the mistakes of sophistry or of superficial study ; 
and to fasten on the memory facts, maxims and argu- 
ments, that had otherwise escaped without leaving any 
permanent impression. Often, when reading some book, 
have you inwardly said, " O that the writer w^ere more 
perspicuous here, or that I had an opportunity to ask of 
him a solution of this difficulty, which he has left unex- 
plained ! " The advantage you desired with respect to 
an author, you actually enjoy as it regards your minister, 
and other judicious friends, in familiar conversation. 

The naked knowledge of your lesson will not be suffi- 
cient. Seek to acquire a manner of inculcating what 
you know, which will be fitted to engage the attention 
and interest the feelings of your youthful charge. To 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 117 

most children, the abstractions of truth, however lovely 
and venerable, seem like the vague images of a dream, 
rather than the sober reaUties of this world's business, and 
joys, and sufferings. A well-told story or incident touches, 
enlightens, rouses them. Draw the expositions of your 
principles from their own experience, or every day's ob- 
servation, and they listen, understand, feel, and are 
convinced. Lay down cold general propositions, and 
they will sleep, or, at most, wonder what you can possi- 
bly mean. I was once acquainted with a good man, 
who used to address children as if he had been afraid 
they would regard him as childish, provided that his 
words were plain, and his general mode of teaching 
suited to their capacity. He mihappily confounded 
pomp with dignity, and a delicate, stirring simplicity of 
manner, with infantile imbecihty of mind. 

Neglect not the use of maps and appropriate diagrams, 
which, by painting to the eye, make facts intelligible) 
and at the same time indelibly fix them in the memory. 

Be affectionate and earnest. The advice which is in 
every one's mouth, of the Roman poet to an author — 
" Weep yourself, if you would make others weep " — is 
especially deserving of notice from those who are called 
in Providence to address children on the gr at subjects 
which relate to their salvation. I do not mean to say 
that you should perpetually manifest strong excitement 
of feeling, for this would be inconsistent with sound in- 
struction, and do violence to the very constitutions of the 
beings whom you would win to repentance ; b ■ you 
should show an habitual and tender interest in their wel- 
fare, and employ, at times, a vehemence of entreaty 
proportioned, in some degree, to the extent of their obli- 
gations, guilt, danger, and the worth of their souls. 
" How does it happen," said a preacher to a distinguished 



118 PRA.CTICAL RELIGION. 

actor, '' that people are more affected by your exhibitions 
of fictitious characters, than by the awful and glorious 
truths which we inculcate ? " — " Because," replied the 
latter, " we speak of fictions as if they were truths ; and 
you treat the most solemn truths as if they were fictions.'' 
Genuine fervour of spirit is contagious ; it passes from 
heart to heart, unseen as magnetism, and yet rapid and 
resistless as the lightning's flash. The intonations of 
the voice, the muscles of the face, the melting expression 
of the eye, convey the mysterious sympathy to bosoms 
that had never before heaved with any other than low 
and earthly emotions. Now, though God is the sole 
efficient author of holiness in men, yet the means he 
selects to accomplish his purpose of love concerning 
them are such as befit their intelligent and moral nature. 
He secures their attention by appealing to those affections 
and instincts which belong to them in common with 
their race, and without which they would be utterly 
disqualified for the trials and appliances of a state of pro- 
bation. He does not employ ice to melt, nor the heat of 
the sun to engender frost. 

Be particularly attentive to such as manifest any reli- 
gious anxiety. Aware of the deceitfulness of their hearts, 
of the allurements of the world, and of the influence 
which Satan will not fail to exert for the purpose of 
destroying them ; do you follow them, wisely, earnestly, 
constantly, with your counsels and prayers. It would 
be well to visit them often at their own houses, or invite 
them to your room, that you may ascertain, from time 
to time, the state of their feelings, address to them suita- 
ble advice, and know, specifically, what petitions you 
should offer in their behalf at the throne of grace. 

Let the sermons you hear, or any unusual dispensations 
of Providence, be made use of to impress on the minds 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 119 

of your class such lessons as the vanity of the world — 
the brevity and uncertainty of life— the mahgnant nature 
of sia — the danger of procrastination — and the amazing 
realities of eternity. 

Seek to he useful to your im'penitent friends^ hy 
means of faithful private warning and reproof — 
That you should not, in ordinary cases, rebuke them in 
the presence of others, is a point too plain to need any 
illustration. They will think themselves insulted by 
those things said in the social circle, for which they will 
thank you, if the same things are uttered in private. Go 
to your former associates, and beseech them, with tears 
in your eyes, to flee from the wrath to come. Endea- 
vour to remove their prejudices, to gain their confidence, 
to answer their objections, and to make them feel the 
reasonableness and necessity of an immediate attention 
to the interests of a future life. Speak to them with 
much humility. Instead of assuming that style of au- 
thority which may become an ambassador of Christ, 
address them as their friend, who desires nothing so much 
as their obedience to the Gospel and everlasting happiness. 
Sinners are ready enough to believe that the children of 
God are elated by the high distinctions which they sup- 
pose themselves to enjoy. Give no occasion for such 
suspicions of you. You have not yet entered into the 
joy of your Lord. If you are really his, he who has 
called you into his kingdom will assert your royal dignity 
before assembled worlds. Wait till then for the mani- 
festation of the sons of God ; and spend the time of your 
sojourning on earth in fear. 

Let your common social visits be made subservient 
to that which should be a leading purpose of your 
life — the promotion of Chris fs kingdom in the ivorld. 
Thus, instead of wasting these opportunities in frivolous 



120 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

discourse, or employing them to disseminate scandal, you 
will make them occasions of forming and cementing 
friendships, based on Christian principles, which will 
survive the tomb and last forever. You will thus, in a 
measure, copy the example of him who, whether in the 
synagogue or in the ship, in the wilderness or a guest at 
the tables of the opulent, was ever mindful of his great 
errand into this world, deducii% from every incident 
some momentous doctrine or warning, for the instruction 
or awakening of his auditors. You will, of course, avoid 
parties of gaiety and fashion, as scenes unfriendly to 
your spirituality, where your influence as a Christian 
would be enervated, and where your presence would 
only countenance those views and habits which no one 
can cherish and retain, without the forfeiture of his 
eternal happiness. Whenever you are in company, 
ask yourself, " What would Jesus Christ have done to 
promote the objects of his divine mission in my situation ? 
What topics would he have introduced ? What pertinent 
suggestions would he have made to individuals like those 
with whom I am surrounded ? " 

Endeavour to do good in your epistolary corres- 
pondence loith your impenitent friends. This was a 
subject well understood by many of the worthies of former 
times. Whitefield rarely wrote a letter, however shorty 
in which he did not aim to recommend the religion he 
loved. In a line, directed to Dr. FrankUn, he said, " I 
raustalways have aliquod ChristV^ — that is, something 
of Christ. This is a sentiment worthy of the man who 
wrote in his journal, " O that I had as many tongues as 
the hairs in my head ; the lovely, ever-loving Jesus should 
have them all ; " and who, at the close of a most labori- 
ous ministry, in the last sermon he ever preached, ex- 
claimed, " Works 1 works ! I should no sooner think of 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 121 

gaining heaven by my works, than climbing to the moon 
by a rope of sand ! " Venerated man ! Jesus was with 
him, all in all. Let Jesus be all in all with you ; and, 
rely upon it, my dear friend, you will not, you camiot be 
weary in well-doing. 

Yours, with much affection, 

Epsilon. 



11 



LETTER XIV. 



ON INTEGRITY 



My dear Friend^ 

The consistent Christian possesses, in a high 
degree, all the real virtues which secure the approbation 
of the world, and is at the same time actuated by prin- 
ciples of which the world knows nothing. He is a true 
hero, as well as a humble penitent ; a being of genuine 
independence, while he shrinks into conscious nothing- 
ness before God ; a man of the strictest honour, while 
he endures, with uncomplaining patience, the reproaches, 
the insults, and the multiplied wrongs of the unjust 
and the proud. 

Christian integrity is the subject of this letter ; and it 
is none the less important because it stands high on the 
list of virtues, in the vocabulary of mere worldly moral- 
ists. They recommend what they account beneficial to 
our social interests in time ; but godliness is profitable 
unto all things, having the promise of the life that now 
is, and of that which is to come. 

Real integrity originates from principle, from a moral 
bias towards rectitude, from the love of goodness for its 
own sake. Much that bears the name is the effect of 
education, or arises from some constitutional peculiarity, 
or is simply the offspring of pride. It sometimes exists, 
with scarcely any other commendable qualities to bear it 
company, like a solitary plant, or tree, in the midst of a 
desert, — or, like a bubbling fountain in the region ^^of 
perpetual sands and sterility. How often is its merit 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 123 

exaggerated ! In many literary productions it is made 
to atone for the most odious vices, to sanctify the bitter- 
ness of infidel scorn, and to give currency to doctrines 
subversive of man's best interests through the whole 
period of his being. 

Integrity respects our pecuniary transactions. It is 
straight-forward and manly in all the business of hfe. 
It does not justify fraud, because fraud is common ; nor 
allege, as an apology for duplicity, that you must deal 
with men as you find them, and that he who resolves to 
be strictly honest, cannot fail to be poor. It can rise 
above the low maxims of an overreaching policy. It 
does not misrepresent the value of goods, for the sake of 
gaining custom ; it does not take advantage of the 
ignorance or necessities of men, in order to extort ex- 
travagant profits ; it engages in no conspiracies to cheat 
and oppress the poor by unrighteous monopolies; nor 
does it seek to fatten itself on the spoils of fortunes 
ruined by its own circumvention, or unusual general 
distress. It aims at punctuality ; knowing that a just 
debt is as much due at the tbne specified in the original 
contract, as it ever will be ; and that a failure in this 
respect may prove highly injurious, if not ruinous to a 
creditor. Sharpers often laugh at serious scruples in 
good men, concerning certain usages in business ; and 
take it for granted, that whatever is customary must 
consequently be right. " What do preachers know,'' 
say these wiseacres, initiated in the mysteries of fraudu- 
lent trading, " of the rules and proprieties of honourable 
merchandise ? " Thus the shafts of reproof are made 
to rebound from bosoms incased in the adamantine 
shield of worldly wisdom ; and the unharmed extortioner 
in the pew returns the moral missiles of the pulpit with 
a sarcastic smil^, which seems to tell the preacher, " If 



124 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

you knew more, you would say less." But in integrity's 
view, the great moral code is not a thing of mere con- 
venience or fashion. It dares to think for itielf ; and 
would rather be ridiculed by fools, for weakness and 
ignorance of the world, than be upbraided by conscience, 
or reproached by the victims of injustice, for selfishness 
and cruelty. 

This inflexible uprightness has too seldom been 
found, even among professed Christians. Laws, them- 
selves, may be unequal and oppressive — contrary to the 
law of God which warrants the holding of property ; 
and how few there are who think themselves blameable 
if they can wrest property from others, under the pre- 
text of legislative enactments and judicial decisions ! 

As men are now, such they have been ever since the 
first apostacy of their race. " It is naught, it is naught, 
saith the buyer : but when he goeth his way, then he 
boasteth." — " Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, 
even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying. When 
will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn ? 
and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making 
the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the 
balances by deceit ? that we may buy the poor for silver, 
and the needy for a pair of shoes ; yea, and sell the 
refuse of the wheat? The Lord hath sworn by the 
excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of 
their works." 

Integrity respects our entire intercourse with mankind. 
Have you not known some who were always wrapped 
in mists and clouds ? They desired to move invisible, 
like some of the fabled necromancers of oriental story. 
Such men can see no difference between prudence and 
cunning. They remind you of the wily fox — not the 
sagacious elephant. You behold enough of the subtlety 



PRACTICAL RELIG I O N . 125 

of the serpent, — but for the smallest portion of the dove's 
innocence — search as long as you will, you will not find 
it. Fair dealing ! Why, they have no notion of it ; 
and they secretly despise the man whose bosom is trans- 
parent, as if simpHcity of character were synonymous 
with indiscretion and want of sense. They hate the 
open highway ; and love to skulk in the obscure and 
uncouth path, whence they may eye the honest traveller 
and mark him, unsuspecting, for their prey. They 
have some unrevealed design in every movement. They 
can hardly, as one expresses it, "take their tea without 
a stratagem;" and they would prefer a trick to an 
honest measure, even when the latter would be far 
better for their purpose. They have their projects, 
which must, at all events, be carried ; and to these must 
be sacrificed, if necessary, all that is praiseworthy in 
character, and all that is sacred in friendship. They 
are politicians, resolved to govern, and ready to put down, 
not openly, but by an undermining process, every man 
who will not contribute to their advancement, or who 
refuses to follow implicitly the course which they have 
been pleased to prescribe. They will recommend none 
but those of their own select band to any place of dis- 
tinction, unless they see that their recommendation will 
make no difference, as to the result ; or unless they are 
convinced that a change of situation in the persons de- 
signated, would tend, upon the whole, to diminish their 
influence ; or, unless it would in some other way, be 
likely to promote the interests of the crafty intriguers 
themselves. 

" Are there such individuals in the Church ? " I can 
fancy that I hear you ask with surprise. Would there 
were none. But, who knows not, though he live in 
the obscurest corner of Christendom, that a fair exterior 

11* 



126 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

may cover a base and hollow heart ? Ambitious eccle- 
siastics may attain power by the same means which are 
employed by the aspirants after pohtical eminence. A 
Woolsey may be as sly, as far reaching, and as selfish, 
as a Talleyrand. The stirring zeal of the religionist 
may have as much of pretence, and as little of real 
principle, as the restless ardour of the courtier, or the 
boasting patriotism of the demagogue. 

Jesuiticus has respectable talents ; and he occupies an 
important station in the Church. He is a man of pro- 
fessions, of gentle manners, and of a persuasive tongue ; 
he can, in little things, make the worse appear the better 
reason ; he knows what points in a subject to exagge- 
rate, what to depress, and what to overlook ; and no 
wonder, that with these qualifications, he is regarded by 
many as a prodigy of wisdom and goodness. Others, 
whose minds are not blinded by their friendship and 
their interests, have learned to view with distrust all his 
great enterprises, which have a bearing on the cause of 
religion. Had he true modesty, he might be very useful 
in a humble sphere. But he wishes to be the leader of 
a party — poor ambition ! and like many others, who 
have the same desire after pre-eminence, he is loud and 
frequent in reiterating the watch-words of the party, to 
which he has attached himself. While he expatiates 
on the loveliness of charity, and the hatefulness of a 
bigoted, sectarian spirit, he tells those who are suspected 
of unsoundness in their creed, that they are persecuted ; 
encourages jealousies among good men ; and tries to 
keep up a perpetual, skirmishing in the ranks of the 
faithful. And while he kindles a fire in mens' blood, he 
seems to cry with Antony in the play, 

" Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up 
To such a sudden flood of mutiny." 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 127 

The prevalence of truth and peace would, he knows, be 
death to him, and all his hopes of power. He must ride 
in the whirlwind, or go on foot. He makes use of all 
his popularity, all his arts of management, to exalt 
himself, at the expense of those who will not consent 
to wear his cockade, nor follow his triumphal chariot. 
One would think him an adept pupil of Machiavel, or a 
successful student of the " Monita Secreta " of the 
Society of Jesus. Yet Jesuiticus would deeply resent 
the charge of dishonesty ; and he sometimes puts on 
such an appearance of openness and candour, as half 
imposes upon the persons who have witnessed most of 
his manoeuvres, and have the clearest insight into his 
character. 

I do not refer to him with the design of injuring an 
individual, (I wish there were but one Jesuiticus,) but 
from the hope that such an example of moral obliquity 
in one who is called a Christian, may, if distinctly set 
before you, so excite your abhorrence of the conduct to 
which I allude, as to guard you against any approaches 
towards it yourself, to the end of your days. While 
you remember the importance of prudent reserve in your 
words and actions, never descend to finesse ; conceal 
what you should from principle ; and make it not neces- 
sary to hide your designs, on account of the sinister and 
unworthy motives which give them birth. 

Integrity is powerfully recommended and enjoined in 
the Scriptures, " Provide things honest in the sight of 
all men." — "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever 
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever 
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever 
things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if 
there be any praise, think on these things." — " Where- 
fore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with 



128 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

his neighbour." — " For our exhortation was not of deceit, 
nor of uncleanness, nor in guile. But as we were 
allowed of God, to be put in trust with the Gospel, even 
so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which 
trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flat- 
tering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness." 

Observe the manner in which the Holy Ghost repro- 
bates dishonesty in our common dealings. " I will be a 
swift witness against false swearers, and against those 
that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and 
the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his 
right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts." — " Wo 
unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, 
and his chambers by wrong ; that useth his neighbour's 
service without wages, and giveth him not for his 
work." — " Go to, now, ye rich men, weep and howl for 
your miseries that shall come upon you. Behold, the 
hire of the labourers, who have reaped down your fields, 
which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth : and the 
cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the 
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." 

Of the citizen of Zion, David says, " He walketh 
uprightly^ and worketh righteousness, and speaketh 
the truth in his heart. He sweareth to his own hurt, 
and changeth not. He putteth not out his money 
to usury ^ nor taketh reward against the innocent.''^ 
In other words, unbending integrity is one of the indis- 
pensable characteristics of true religion. 

This virtue is necessarily implied in that love to God, 
and love to man, without which all pretensions to good- 
ness are vain. I need not attempt to prove this. What 
kind of love to infinite righteousness is that, which leads 
us to practise unrighteousness '? What kind of benevo- 
lence towards men is that, which is consistent with de- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 129 

frauding and oppressing the objects of its regard ? If 
these are the fruits of love, what must be the legitimate 
effects of indifference, unkindness, or enmity ? 

Contemplate what has been justly called the Saviour's 
golden rule of equity. " Therefore, all things what- 
soever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even 
so to them : for this is the law and the prophets." The 
perspicuous direction here given, immediately commends 
itself to every conscience. But who would deem it 
right, that he should be deceived, or cheated by others? 

Integrity is the simplest and least costly acknowledg- 
ment which it is in our power to make, of our various 
social relations ; and he who neglects even this, is a 
hypocrite, when he talks of his humanity and universal 
good-will to his species. 

God will accept no sacrifices of those, who disregard 
the claims of justice. Yet many have wished to atone 
for dishonesty by their charities. The notion of the 
possibility of this, prevailed at different times among the 
Israelites ; was virtually encouraged in the Romish 
Church ; and seems to be entertained by some in Pro- 
testant communions, at this day. Almsgiving is reck- 
oned cheaper than, and is substituted for, that restitution 
which the Most High requires. 

Speciosus was, during the early part of his life,^ in 
good repute, as an honourable tradesman. In conse- 
quence, however, of some misfortunes, extravagant 
speculation, and overtrading, he found himself, at length, 
greatly embarrassed in his affairs, and on the eve of 
bankruptcy. The state of his business was not gene- 
rally known to his neighbours ; and his credit therefore 
remained unimpaired. He should have called those 
who were interested, together, and made to them a frank 
disclosure of the condition of his finances. Instead of 



130 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

adopting this reasonable and equitable course, he re- 
solved to put off the day of failure as long as possible ; 
and for this purpose, continued to add to his debts, by 
borrowing money of all from whom it could be procured. 
As he was accounted a man of wealth and uprightness, 
all who had funds to spare, were ready to oblige him ; 
and his poor relations, and widows, and orphans, reck- 
oned it a privilege to commit their scanty means to his 
keeping, with the confidence that whatever was so in- 
vested, would be safe. The number of poor creatures 
who had thus intrusted with him a large proportion of 
all they possessed, was almost incredible. His coaxing 
manners, or his fair reputation, had been a whirlpool of 
resistless power to all within its reach. Friends and 
enemies were alike to him, if he could but make use of 
them for his own advantage. 

The whole truth at last appeared. Speciosus was a 
ruined man ; and could pay httle or nothing towards the 
numerous and heavy debts which he had incurred. It 
was hoped, however, that he would ultimately be able to 
do something for the relief of his more necessitous credi- 
tors, who had lost their all ; and he gave them the assur- 
ance, that he should never forget their righteous claims. 

He removed into a distant state, where he might en- 
joy his profits, without danger of molestation, on account 
of his old debts ; and there he commenced business 
anew. He was very successful ; and was understood 
to say, that as soon as he should have the ability, he 
would fully answer all the demands against him, in the 
place of his former residence. Years passed away ; he 
became rich, and provided for a large family ; and still 
he forgot his early promises. Some of those whom he had 
wronged, were aged and infirm ; and stood in pecu- 
liar need of what he had fraudulently and cruelly taken 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 131 

from them. This he well knew ; but because they 
could obtain no legal redress, he mocked at their misery, 
and affected anger, whenever a hint of their sufferings 
was given, with the hope that it might move his pity, if 
it did not awaken his sense of justice. 

Yet Speciosus is a professor of religion. He is called 
a pubUc spirited man ; and has been known to give 
large sums, in aid of certain objects of charity. He is 
found among the affluent and the honourable; while 
many a tear, and many a groan, extorted from those 
whom he has beggared, are crying out against him, 
before high heaven, for the long arrear of vengeance. 

O that some faithful reprover would thunder in his 
ear, " Speciosus ! remember that God, thy judge, has 
said, ' I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. I the Lord, 
love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering. Seek 
judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, 
plead for the widow. I hate, I despise your feast days, 
and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though 
ye offer me burnt offerings, and your meat offerings, I 
will not accept them : neither will I regard the peace 
offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me 
the noise of thy songs ; for I will not hear the melody 
of thy viols. But \ei judgment run down as water s, 
and righteousness as a mighty stream. Wo unto 
you, Scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour 
widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers ; 
therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.' Go, 
Speciosus, and prove yourself to he just j before you at- 
tempt to attract admiration, by the largeness of your 
gifts. Go, and raise the head of that helpless female, 
whom your injustice would have reduced to despair, but 
for her confidence in God. Go, and do all you can, to 
feed the mouths which you have robbed of their food ; 



132 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

to give a shelter to the shivering bodies, which you hav6 
rendered houseless ; and to bind up and comfort the 
hearts which you have broken. If there be any to 
whom you cannot restore what you have taken, because 
they and their heirs have passed forever beyond the 
reach of the oppressor, let that which should have been 
paid to them', be devoted to the interests of other chil- 
dren of poverty. As it is not yours, you cannot retain 
it without sin, though those to whom it once belonged 
are no more inhabitants of these abodes of want and wo. 
Do this, and then the world will begin to think better of 
you, and of your religion. Do this immediately, lest 
death overtake you, and the voice of those whom you, 
have trodden in the dust, be lifted up against you 
before the awful tribunal of God." 

Some, if we may judge from their conduct, believe 
that a good end sanctifies dishonesty. Of a zealous 
member of the Church, who had made a hard bargain 
with one of his ungodly neighbours, it was sneeringly 
said. " O he, I suppose, wants money to give for the 
support of missionaries." A keen rebuke! and the 
more cutting, because the brother to whom it was applied, 
was somewhat distinguished for his donations to the 
cause of missions ! 

The early Christians were remarkable for their hon- 
esty, as well as their other virtues. This trait was par- 
ticularly noticed by Lucian, an enemy of Christianity, 
who wrote in the second century. His description is a 
caricature ; but then, by proving his malignity, it adds 
weight to his testimony in favour of the primitive dis- 
ciples. " It is incredible," he says, " what expedition 
they use, when any of their friends are known to be in 
trouble. In a word, they spare nothing upon such an 
occasion. For these miserable men have no doubt, but 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 133 

they shall live forever; therefore they contemn death, 
and many surrender themselves to sufferings. More- 
over, their first lawgiver has taught them that they are 
all brethren, when once they have turned, and renounced 
the gods of the Greeks, and worship that Master of theirs, 
who was crucified, and have engaged to live according 
to his laws. They have also a sovereign contempt for 
all the things in the world, and look upon them as com- 
mon, and trust one another vnthout any particular 
security ; for which reason, any subtle fellow, by good 
management, may impose upon this simple people, and 
grow rich among them." What opposer of the Gospel 
would think of giving such a representation of the 
great body of professed Christians, in this age of the 
world ? 

A reputation for strict honesty recommends the Chris- 
tian's principles, and gives him the greatest advantage 
in his endeavours to save impenitent men. He is allowed 
to be sincere in all his professions ; and evident sincerity 
in a good cause is itself the most powerful eloquence. I 
have been told, that the celebrated Priestly, after hearing 
a sermon from Mr. Romaine, of London, expressed him- 
self in some such terms as these, " Really, he is the 
greatest pulpit orator I ever heard ; for he seems to have 
the fullest confidence in the truth of all he says." 
Though your neighbour Honestus is a very plain man, 
and speaks with a moderation of manner, amounting 
almost to dulness; yet every pious sentence he utters 
secures the respectful attention of all his hearers. Even 
scoffers forget to laugh, and libertines look grave, under 
his faithful rebukes. Lubricus, on the contrary, with 
all his beseeching, and weeping, and burning thoughts, 
can hardly rise in a religious meeting, without encoun- 
tering the sneers, or the blushes of all who know him. 

12 



134 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

One remembers some broken promise ; another some 
gross misrepresentation ; and another some act of ex- 
tortion ; by which Lubricus betrayed a meanness and 
selfishness that any high-minded man of the world 
would have scorned to indulge. 

Nothing can be more truly contemptible and odious^ 
than an intense religious zeal, united with the arts of 
intrigue, and a disregard of others' rights. If a man 
will be a knave, let him not go into good company, and 
wear the livery of a Christian ; but join himself to pro- 
fessed jockeys, gamblers, and pickpockets, who will not 
be disgraced by intimacy with him. 

I trust, my dear sir, that you will, under no pretence, 
be disposed to justify fraud. You will guard against all 
its insidious pleas, and prefer the praise bestov/ed upon 
Nathaniel, by the Searcher of hearts, to all the riches 
and honours which this earth can give : " Behold an 
Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guileJ^ 
Yours affectionately, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XV. 

ON THE CHOICE OF A PROFESSION. 

My dear Friend^ 

If circumstances have a great influence in the 
formation of character, then a man must be pecuUarly 
responsible for his use of any power he may possess in 
determining and arranging those, by which he shall be 
surrounded. Residence, associates^ occupation, should 
all be chosen, as far as practicable, with becoming refe- 
rence to their probable effect on one's moral disposition, 
habits, and usefulness. 

These remarks very naturally introduce some thoughts, 
in relation to the question proposed in your last , " By 
what means shall I be able to ascertain my duty with 
respect to the choice of a profession ? " 

I am glad to know, that you feel a solicitude on the 
subject ; and are disposed to do in this matter what- 
ever you may find to be most accordant with the will of 
God. 

With many, the selection of their business for life, is 
a kind of contingency, occupying very little of their 
thoughts, and awakening no anxiety, lest, by a wrong 
course, they should injure their spiritual interests, and of- 
fend their supreme Judge. 

We, in this country, are happily free from the curse of 
caste, and an hereditary trade, which, in many parts of 
the world, leave all choice on this subject out of the ques- 
tion, and bind the great mass of mankind to the most 
degrading servitude. The greater our freedom, however, 



136 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

the greater, of course, must be our responsibility in re- 
gard to the choice we make. 

Some kinds of business are, in their own nature 
wrong, involving profligacy, dishonesty, or an habitual 
profanation of the Sabbath ; and of these no real Chris- 
tian can think for a moment. Other kinds, though 
right in themselves, are yet attended with such peculiar 
and manifold temptations, that he who has a suitable 
distrust of his own heart, will shrink from undertaking 
them. Others still are too frivolous to engage the time 
and thoughts of one, who has the powers of a manly 
understanding, and hopes to spend his eternity in the 
presence of God. I make no invidious comparisons ; 
that which is the best employment for one, may be alto- 
gether unfitted to another. 

My first direction is, see that your motives are evan- 
gelical. " Seekest thou great things unto thyself? Seek 
them not." Beware of ambition. Young men are too 
much disposed to choose a field, where they can acquire 
fame, or power. The place of a subaltern is beneath 
them. They must be first, or nothing. They can com- 
prehend the state of Caesar's mind, when he said, " I 
had rather be the greatest man in a village, than the 
second man in Rome." They can almost join with 
Milton's Satan, 

" Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven." 

Remember that self-exaltation is no part of your call- 
ing as a Christian. " Let him that would be great, be 
least of all, and servant of all." John Newton said, that 
it would be a matter of indifference with the angel Gabriel, 
were he to toil a few years on earth, whether he should 
govern an empire, or sweep a street in one of its cities. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 137 

Let not covetousness direct your choice. You must, it 
is true, have the means of subsistence. But, " having 
food and raiment, let us therewith be content." — "A 
man's hfe consisteth not in the abundance of the things 
which he possesseth." — " But they that will he rich^ fall 
into temptations and a snare, and into many foolish and 
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and per- 
dition. For the love of money is the root of all evil ; 
which, while some coveted after, they have erred from 
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows." Thousands of the aspiring are compelled to 
remain in the valley, or to stop midway in their labo- 
rious ascent ; and others, who reach the coveted heights, 
find — instead of the couch of enjoyment they had anti- 
cipated — a bed of thorns, and the fierce rocking of the 
tempest. '' I think," said a Christian, who was then 
wealthy, " that I was never so happ)^, as when I lived 
in my obscure hut on the river's brink, and depended on 
my daily labour to procure bread for my family." 

My second article of advice is, that, as you are at 
present engaged in a useful and honourable vocation, 
you should not change it, without great deliberation, and 
for the most weighty reasons. You may be less suc- 
cessful in another profession than in that to which you 
have hitherto devoted yourself. Were it the time of 
your apprenticeship, you might abandon the business 
with little risk. But you have laid the foundation, and 
have been building upon it for years ; and to tear down 
all, and build anew, will be both painful and hazardous, 
Paul decides, that as a general rule, a Christian should 
continue in the employment, (supposing it to be an 
honest one,) in which he was found at the time he was 
effectually called by God's grace — 1 Cor. 7. 20 — " Let 
every man abide in the same calling wherein he was 
12* 



138 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

called." I have known an eminent jurist, who, after 
becoming a Christian, turned his attention to the min- 
istry ; but he was never a thorough divine ; and it is 
doubtful whether he might not have done more for the 
cause of his Master, by continuing on the ben^h, than 
he actually did accomplish by preaching the Gospel. 

The only questions to be settled, are, how you can 
best glorify God, honour his Son, and promote the tem- 
poral and eternal welfare of your fellow men. Look at 
these questions with perfect impartiality ; and after a 
faithful examination, follow th© dictates of your con- 
science, whithersoever they may lead you. 

Be suspicious of the arguments which are found on 
tlie side of your worldly interest. It would be amusing, 
were it not too serious an affair to divert a sober mind, 
to observe the facility with which men persuade them- 
selves that it is their duty to push upwards in society ; 
and how hard it is to convince them that they ought to 
descend. The ploughman may admit that he ought to 
become a collegian ; but how difficult it is to convince 
the collegian, however humble his talents, that he 
ought to return to the plough. 

At the same time, weigh the arguments on all sides. 
Yotf, are bound to make the best possible use of all 
the abilities which God has given you. He who 
buried his talent in the earth, was condemned as a sloth- 
ful and unprofitable servant. " For unto every one that 
hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance ; but 
from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that 
which he hath." 

liook at the state of the country and the world, that 
you may ascertain their most pressing wants. 

There is need of real Christians in all the professions. 
Should all men of piety quit secular employments, there 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 139 

would be a most undesirable separation between Chris- 
tians and others ; the business of the world would be 
far worse conducted than it is ; and there would be none 
to sustain ministers in their arduous labours. Where 
would be our pious deacons, and elders, and liberal bene- 
factors of the Church, to whom our benevolent societies 
are chiefly indebted for contributions to their funds ? 

Endeavour to become acquainted with ysur peculiar 
cast of mind, and intellectual habits. 

You must also bring into the account, your physical 
constitution ; since it may be such, as utterly to dis- 
quahfy you for certain employments, to which, perhaps, 
your inchnation would lead you. To him who has a 
very delicate frame, severe manual toil, and exposure to 
the weather, would be highly dangerous ; and in one of 
feeble lungs, the necessity of frequent public speaking 
would probably lead to early consumption, and a prema- 
ture grave. Study by all proper means to lengthen 
your life, and thus prolong your usefulness. 

Laborious as the apostles were, and ready as they 
were to part with life itself, for their Master's sake, it 
does not appear that any of them undermined their 
health by toils exceeding their strength. Most of them 
died by the hand of violence ; but we have no evidence 
that any of them fell martyrs to the sentiment which has 
become threadbare by repetition, among modern religion 
ists, that " it is better to loear out, than rust out ;" — a 
sentiment which is often uttered with an unfeeling flip- 
pancy, by those who are themselves well fed, and of iron 
vigour of frame, in reference to the most faithful servants 
of Christ, sinking with exhausted nerves into utter pros. 
tration, or into the grave. '' O," said a rosy faced man, 
(whose attendance on religious meetings, was but a 
pleasant relaxation from the labours of his secular buei- 



140 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

nessj) to his sick and desponding minister, who had 
exerted himself to the utmost extent of his ability, in 
the duties of his profession, "■ Do not be discouraged ; 
work while the day lasts ; and if you cut short your 
days by doing good, you will go immediately to hea- 
ven."— ''Alas ! " said the clergyman to his friends, 
'' this brother speaks like one who has never known the 
lassitude and the pains of sickness." 

Among the means you use to learn your duty, you 
should be careful to obtain the opinions of your most 
judicious and pious friends, who have had an opportunity 
to know the strength and peculiarities of your under- 
standing, your natural disposition, and the comparative 
importance of the different scenes of usefulness on 
which you may enter. " Ointment and perfume rejoice 
the heart ; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by 
hearty counsel." 

Above all, seek divine direction, by persevering and 
humble prayer. " In all thy ways, acknowledge him, 
and he will direct thy paths." — " Commit thy works 
unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." 
These promises are as truly fulfilled now, as they were 
in the days of immediate inspiration. The Providence 
of God extends to the minutest events in this age, as 
really as it did then ; and prayer is no less efficacious 
than it was when miracles were wrought, in answer to 
the fervent cries of the prophets and apostles. We are 
not to expect, indeed, any suspension or counteraction of 
the laws of nature; but he who numbers the hairs of 
our head, and directs the falling of the sparrow, can 
easily, in accordance with the common course of events, 
cause his Providence to point out our path with scarcely 
less certainty than he taught the ancient saints, by urim 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 141 

and thummim, or by an audible response from between 
the cherubims of glory. 

In the mean time, you should be looking around you 
on every side, to gain instruction with respect to your 
duty ; making the best use of the faculties which God 
has given you ; and, I doubt not, but the way in which 
you should go, will shortly appear with such distinctness, 
as to afford you entire satisfaction. 

The Christian ministry is doubtless the most import- 
ant and honourable profession on earth ; and he, who 
can have a different opinion, is to be pitied a^^ke for his 
grovelling sentiments, and the meanness of his moral 
taste. It does not, I admit, promise great worldly dis- 
tinction ; in most instances, faithful ministers have been 
poor ; and often, they have been despised and persecuted. 
He, who seeks his chief happiness from wealth, or human 
applause, should follow any vocation, rather than that 
of a humble herald of the cross ; his disappointment in 
this, is certain ; and, moreover, he will betray and dis- 
honour rather than promote the cause of the adorable 
Redeemer. But the ministry, where its duties are faith- 
fully performed, is a source of the richest blessings to 
mankind, both for this world, and for the world to come. 
It was the vocation of the apostles, and of Jesus Christ 
himself; and there is no other calling which he has so 
specially designated to co-operate with him, in raising 
this world from the pollution, shame, and bondage 
of sin. " If a man desire the office of a bishop, he 
desireth a good work ; " and I take it for granted, that so 
it must appear to every true believer. He who can 
prefer the riches acquired by merchandise, or the honours 
which attend the successful study of jurisprudence, to 
the glory of adding new gems to the Saviour's crown, in 
souls renewed and forgiven, can surely have little sym- 



142 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

pathy with him, who came from heaven to seek and 
save the lost. 

I suppose you are willing to suffer reproach, or poverty, 
from your regard to that Jesus, who suffered death for 
you ; and if you are not, I piay you to examine again 
the grounds of the hope you cherish, that you are a child 
of God. " He that will save his life, shall lose it ; and 
he that will lose his life for my sake, the same shall 
find it." 

It is no reason why you should follow some worldly 
employmc^it, that you have not had a supposed mira- 
culous call to the ministry. Impressions are httle to be 
trusted ; and many persons who have professed to re- 
ceive such a call, have been apparently as destitute of 
sound piety, as of sober sense. 

Love to Jesus Christ is the first prerequisite to preach- 
ing the Gospel ; the next, is the possession of good 
talents for the work ; the next, a suitable education ; 
and all these advantages should be connected with an 
unblemished reputation, and rendered available to use- 
fulness, by providential openings. 

With these hints, I close the letter ; and my prayer is, 
that God would so guide you, that you may make a wise 
choice, and contribute, in the largest possible measure 
to the accomplishment of his gracious purposes in behalf 
of this revolted world. 

Yours affectionately, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XVI. 

PRACTICAL DEPENDANCE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

My dear' Friend^ 

The doctrine of our dependance on the Holy- 
Spirit for the commencement and continuance of reli- 
gion, is liable like every other revealed truth, to misap- 
prehension and abuse. The careless sinner sometimes 
pleads it as a reason why he should neglect all efforts to 
secure his salvation, and quietly wait in impenitence, 
till it shall please the supreme Agent to call him from a 
state of spiritual stupor, to life and activity in the service 
of God. The licentious antinomian too, perverts it to 
the purpose of carnal indulgence, flattering himself that 
he shall be carried to heaven by a kind of external vio- 
lence, without any vigilance on his part, any steadfast 
and vigorous resistance of the corruptions of his own 
heart, and those powers of hell that are plotting his 
ruin. 

The doctrine, however, is none the less important, 
because the unstable and the unlearned wrest it as they 
do the Scriptures in general, to their own destruction. 
Christ crucified was a stumbling block to the Jews, 
and to the Greeks foolishness ; yet it was the first lesson 
in the Gospel ; and it became the wisdom of God, and 
the power of God, to the sincere believer of every 
nation. 

Without the Spirit's gracious influences, the whole 
work of Christ, as an atoning and interceding Priest, 
had been in vain ; since not an individual would have 



144 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



accepted his offered benefits, and obtained an interest in 
his merits. 

It has been often, and truly observed, that the dona- 
tion of the Spirit is the pecuhar promise of the Christian 
dispensation ; as the gift of the Messiah was of the legal 
economy, where all the bloody rites and propitiatory 
offerings pointed to him, as their illustrious antitype. 
'' If," says the apostle, " the minis iration of deaths 
written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the 
children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face 
of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory 
was to be done away ; how shall not the ministration 
of the Spirit be rather glorious ? " 

The fact that such stress is laid on the reality and 
necessity of a spiritual influence in accomplishing the 
designs of redeeming grace, is sufficient to prove that it 
needs to be felt, and practically recognised by all who 
would serve God acceptably, make advances in piety, 
and attain at last the rewards promised to the faithful. 
Paul acknowledged that his sufficiency was of God ; 
and was cheered by the assurance that divine strength 
should be made perfect in his weakness. 

Your conscious dependance on the Holy Ghost should 
be constant ; and that you may be able to perform this 
duty, it is necessary that you should understand what 
you may expect from his agency. 

You surely ought not to look for the revelation of any 
facts, or doctrines, which are not contained in the Holy 
Scriptures. It was no part of the plan of God that his 
people in every generation should be prophets ; and if this 
had been his design, it would have been useless to com- 
mit his word to writing, as the history of his dispen- 
sations, and a knowledge of the facts necessary to sal- 
vation, might have been miraculously communicated to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 145 

each individual. The divine requisition that we should 
study the Scriptures, imports our duty to make them the 
rule of our faith ; but the direct tendency of expecting 
immediate inspiration, is to withdraw our attention from 
the sacred volume, and fix it on supposed visions, voices, 
or internal impressions. No one ought to regard himself 
inspired, till he is able, hke the ancient prophets, to con- 
firm his testimony by miracles. The notion I am op~ 
posing has been the source of the greatest errors in 
every age ; has generated all the madness of fanaticism ; 
all the ravings of the most unbounded spiritual pride ; 
and has ultimately led its adherents to an utter contempt 
of the Bible, as compared with illuminations enjoyed by 
themselves. If God have directly revealed to me one 
fact, not taught in the sacred volume, he may in this 
manner communicate to me another, and another, till I 
have a Bible of my own, as infallible as that which has 
been handed down in the Church, without the disad- 
vantage of different readings, the perplexity attending a 
transfusion of thoughts from an ancient to a modern 
language, and allusions to customs now forgotten. Why 
then should I not prefer my own Bible to that which is 
commonly received as the guide of their faith, by pro- 
fessed Christians ? These are not mere fanciful deduc- 
tions ; they are warranted by the history of those sects, 
who have professed to have been admitted into the ar- 
cana of heaven, by virtue of some inward light, or out- 
ward manifestation of the Deity, independent of the 
Scriptures. 

We need not wonder, therefore, that the prophets and 
apostles so often remind us of the supreme authority of 
the written word. " To the law and to the testimony," 
says Isaiah : " if they speak not according to this word, 
it is because there is no light in them."— <•' If they hear 

13 



146 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

not Moses and the prophets," says Jesus Christ ; *' neither 
would they be persuaded, though one rose from the 
dead." — " We have also," says Peter, " a more sure word 
of prophecy ; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 
as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the 
day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts. For 
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man : 
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost." The Bereans are commended, because in 
judging of the doctrines inculcated by Paul and Silas, 
they made their ultimate appeal to the Scriptures, which 
were acknowledged by all good men to be of divine 
authority. But why appeal to the Scriptures, if the 
Bereans too were inspired ? Is not immediate inspi- 
ration as much to be trusted, as inspiration speaking in 
a book, where the letters and the words were all de- 
lineated by human hands ? 

Nor should we look for the direct agency of the Holy 
Spirit to teach us our duty in any given case, which 
comes not under some general rule, or principle, plainly 
laid down, or implied in the Scriptures. Some have 
made impulses, which they attributed to a divine influ- 
ence on their minds, the rule of their conduct ; and, thus 
actuated, they have, under the pretence of serving God, 
practised the most egregious folly, or perpetrated the most 
enormous crimes. Incidents illustrative of this delusion 
might be collected in sufficient numbers to fill a volume. 
The laio of God, published in the Scriptures, is our 
only rule of action ; while in many instances our specific 
duty in conformity to this rule, is made manifest from 
circumstances determined and arranged by an all-con- 
trolling Providence. Impulses may be produced by the 
peculiar state of one's mind, or nervous system, or by 
satanical agency, as well as by the Spirit of God. It is 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 147 

no evidence that we are directed by the Spirit, because 
we feel ourselves to be very strongly urged to any act ; 
or because our minds approve of the act as good ; or 
because we enjoy great satisfaction in doing it. These 
things prove nothing but our sincerity ; and may be and 
have been found in conjunction with the most extrav^a- 
gant conduct, ever recorded in the annals of poor human 
nature. 

The Spirit of God does not so operate as to supersede 
the necessity of our own exertions ; nor does it come 
upon a man like the pretended prophetic illapses of the 
sibyls, taking away all power of voluntary action, con- 
nected thought, and ratiocination. The effects of a 
spiritual influence can be distinguished from those which 
are produced by the unaided operations of our own 
minds, only by their nature; this influence becomes 
incorporated, as it were, with our natural faculties, and 
leads to such results as these would secure, were holiness 
indigenous, or self-originated in our own bojoms. Agree- 
ably to this view of the subject, the Saviour says, " Tl^e 
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound 
thereof," art a witness of its effects : " but canst not tell 
whence it cometh, and whither it goeth," canst see no- 
thing but the effects : "so is every one that is born of 
the Spirit." 

The peculiar work of the Holy Spirit, which is de- 
signed to be perpetual in the Church, is the infusion of 
his own moral nature, or the production of holiness in 
the elect. The precise manner in which he gains ac- 
cess to, and controls the affections and will, we are not 
told ; all we know is, that conviction is produced by his 
power, in view of divine truth ; and in view of the same 
truth, the new nature puts forth those various exercises, 
by which it demonstrates its celestial birth. His peo- 



148 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

pie are declared to be his temple, in whom he dwells, 
walks, and rules. They are said to be " born, not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, 
but of God." Observe his promises to the Church — "A 
new heart also will I give you, and a new^ spirit will I 
put within you : and I will take away the stony heart 
out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 
And 1 will put my spirit within you, and cause you to 
walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments 
and do them." Again, " Behold the days come, saith 
the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the 
house of Israel, and with the house of Judah ; not ac- 
cording to the covenant that I made with their fathers — 
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the 
house of Israel ; After those days, saith the Lord, I will 
put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their 
hearts ; and will be their God, and they shall be my 
people. And they shall teach no more every man his 
neighbour, and every man. his brother, saying,' Know 
the Lord ; for they shall all know me, from the least of 
them, unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord : for I 
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin 
no more." Conformably to the obvious meaning of these 
passages. Christians are said to be horn of the Spirit , 
quickened^ renewed after the image of God, created 
in Christ Jesus unto good works, partakers of the 
divine nature, and chosen to salvation, through sane- 
tifcation of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. The 
same power which begins, perfects also the work of 
grace in their hearts. They are strong in the strength 
imparted to them ; and gain their victories through 
union to him, who worketh in them both to will and to 
do, of his own good pleasure. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 149 

The whole effect of His gracious influences, may, 
perhaps, be comprised in the following particulars : 

He excites the mind to study and apply revealed truth, 
and thus illuminates the understanding. 

He gives power to the voice of conscience. 

He changes and sanctifies the affections, by a mode 
of agency all his own ; raising them from sinful objects 
to holy ones, and from earth to heaven. 

He disposes the will to resist all sin, and obey all the 
commandments of God. 

From this view of his influences, it plainly appears 
that human freedom is not impaired, while he infallibly 
accomplishes his purposes, with respect to all " the ves- 
sels of mercy, whom he had before prepared unto 
glory." 

You may also see what is implied in that practical 
dependance upon the Spirit, which forms the subject of 
this letter. 

You should be deeply convinced of the infinite im- 
portance of his agency in renewing and sanctifying 
mankind. By many, the whole subject is regarded 
of httle moment, or rather, of a dangerous tendency, as 
it respects the interests of holiness. Hence they either 
overlook it entirely, or so explain it away, that all its 
power in awakening the mind is lost. 

Ygu should think much on the subject ; study the 
Bible in reference to it ; and make yourself acquainted 
with its vast relations and consequences. In the best 
days of the Church, it is always a favourite theme ; and 
it is neglected in proportion to the increase of world- 
liness, infidelity, or pharisaic formaKty. We ought not 
to look for a general revival of pure religion, till minis- 
ters and other Christians are prepared to honour the 
Holy Spirit, in his peculiar work, as well as the Son, 

13* 



150 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

There may be enthusiasm, and dreams, and raptures, 
without the Spirit ; but as there can be no true holiness 
without Him, we ought not to expect its increase or con- 
tinuance, if the necessity of his effectual operations be 
either undervalued or denied. 

Realize your native depravity, blindness, and help- 
lessness, which alone render necessary the special inter- 
position of the Holy Spirit in your behalf. Read the 
7th chapter of Romans, if you would know how holy 
Paul felt and lamented the strength of indwelling sin 
in his heart. What can such a creature as you do, 
against your potent corruptions, unless you are furnished 
for the conflict from the armory of Almighty grace? 
"When I am weak," says the apostle, "then am I 
strong." 

Accustom yourself to give to the Spirit the glory of 
all the holiness in yourself and others. This has ever 
been the delight of true believers. " Not unto us, not 
unto us, but unto thy name give glory." — "Lord, thou 
wilt ordain peace for us : for thou also hast wrought all 
our works in us." 

Especially manifest your sense of dependance by 
habitual and earnest prayer. Prayer is the natural and 
most becoming language of one, who is sensible of his 
own vileness, and insufficiency, and knows that every 
spiritual good is the gift of God. On the contrary, no 
one can sincerely pray for holiness, who beUeves that it 
is produced by his independent exertions, connected with 
no other kind of divine influence than that which he 
constantly enjoys, in the Scriptures, or the external 
world around him. 

As the Spirit excites you to oppose sin, obey its dictates 
in this respect ; and exert all your own faculties in this 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 151 

work, while you cast yourself unreservedly on His guid- 
ance and grace. 

Follow the motions of your new nature by a strict 
observance of all the divine commandments, and un- 
tiring endeavours to glorify God, and promote the inter- 
ests of his kingdom. 

Such, summarily, are the exercises and feelings which 
are included in a suitable and evangelical dependance on 
the influences of the Spirit. To he led hy the Spirit^ 
and to walk in the iSpirit, are scriptural phrases, denot- 
ing that state of heart, and course of action, which I 
have now briefly delineated. 

This voluntary dependance is of the highest conse- 
quence to the progress, and even the existence of true 
religion. 

It is the most powerful antidote to presumption and 
pride. If you know you have no resources within your- 
self, you will not take praise to yourself for your good 
frames ; you will not dare to trust in your own reso- 
lutions. You will feel yourself sustained by a divine 
hand ; and you will tremble, lest by self-confidence, you 
should provoke the Most High to leave you to such a 
trial of your strength, as will infallibly issue in your 
confusion and shame. " When Ephraim spake trem- 
bUng, he exalted himself in Israel." — " Though I should 
die with thee, yet will I not deny thee,"' said Peter, elated 
by the consciousness of his own goodness, and power. 
" I know not the man," was soon afterwards the lan- 
guage of the same individual, when he saw his inniocent 
Master arraigned as a criminal. The boaster has yet 
to learn the simplest elements of wisdom, the first step 
towards a warrantable and established confidence. " Let 
him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." 
It will prevent, or cure despondency. Under a sense 



152 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

of sin, the Christian is often tempted to despair of achiev- 
ing a final victory over the foes of his soul. He resolves, 
he fights, he sometimes thinks his enemies vanquished ; 
but soon they revive, and return with new ardour 
to the assault. The serpent that he had believed to be 
slain, thrusts forth his forked tongue, and hisses de- 
fiance. The chained lion seems to have broken from 
his confinement, and come roaring for his prey, with 
eyes darting wrath, and kindling with the assurance of 
conquest. What shall the poor believer do ? He lifts 
up his eyes to the hills whence cometh his salvation. 
He hears the promise of unchanging love : " Fear not, 
for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. 
Though thou hast no power of thine own, yet my grace 
is sufficient for thee." — " Henceforth," says the feeble 
saint, '^ I will put my trust in the living God ; for through 
Him, I can tread down earth, and hell, and gain the 
heavenly kingdom. Relying on Him, I will watch, and 
pray, and labour, till I lay down my arms at the side of 
the grave, and feel his own gracious hand encircling my 
brow with an unfading wreath of glory." Many a 
private soldier, in the heat of battle, has felt new cour- 
age kindling within him, as he saw his beloved general 
going before the troops, facing their common perils with- 
out dismay, and cheering them on by his looks of ani- 
mated hope, and words of manly heroism. The little 
boy in a storm at sea, when all were disquieted around 
him, enjoyed an unruffled serenity, and could urge the 
men to hold on in their endeavours to save the ship a 
little longer, because his father was at the helm. And 
through what bloody and desperate affrays, through 
what darkness, and tempests, and raging floods, may not 
the Christian be carried in safety and triumph, who 
leans upon the arm of the Almighty Spirit ? 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 153 

This dependance will prepare you to meet a hostile 
world. When you pray, " Thy kingdom come," you 
will be joyous at the thought, that though sinners can 
resist all the means you may employ for their conversion, 
yet He who subdued you by his grace, can make even 
these means efficacious to the subjugation of the hearts 
of others to the obedience of the faith. Is any thing too 
hard for the Lord ? Possessing these views, you will 
persevere in duty, knowing that you are to expect His 
blessing in a course of obedience, and not of careless in- 
attention to the intimations of his will, and the orders 
of his house. It was when Ezekiel prophesied, agree- 
ably to the divine direction, that motion, and bodies re- 
built, and all the powers of vitality restored, proclaimed 
the presence and working of the omnipotent God, in 
the valley of vision — the realms of desolateness and 
death. 

This dependance is encouraged by many and precious 
promises. It is by this, in no small part, that you flee 
to the name of the Lord as a strong tower ; that ycu 
put your trust beneath the shadow of His wings ; that 
you lay hold on His strength ; and that you make Him 
your refuge, and your hiding place, till the calamities of 
life be overpast. You know what God has said, to ex- 
press his approbation of such exercises as these. " Thou 
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on 
thee : because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the 
Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting 
strength." — " They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew 
their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as 
eagles ; they shall run and not be weary ; and they 
shall walk and not faint." — " O Lord of hosts, blessed 
is the man who trusteth in thee." 

This dependance then, instead of making you sloth- 



154 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

ful and unhappy, will insure to you eminent holiness 
and peace. You will walk with God ; enjoy the light 
of His countenance, and live in the sweet hope of an 
abundant entrance at last into His kingdom, where it 
will be your delightful employment to render all praise 
to His name forevermore. The holiest men in all ages, 
have felt most deeply their weakness and helplessness ; 
and have manifested the greatest joy in view of the 
freeness, and sovereignty, and boundlessness, of the 
grace of God in Jesus Christ. " O to grace how great 
a debtor ! " has been the spontaneous acknowledgment 
of them all. " When I would do good, evil is present 
with me," said the Apostle Paul. " I was but a pen in 
God's hand, — speak not of works— I am the veriest 
dunghill worm that ever went to heaven," said the 
dying Baxter. " 1 find I can do nothing without God," 
said Edwards. " I have done nothing ; Christ with me, 
and in me, has done all." These, or words like these, 
were some of the last expressions of the sainted 
Payson, before his spirit took its flight for glory. 

They know nothing of the ingenuous and humble 
nature of faith, who think that confidence in one's own 
power, is necessary to disarm him of his vain excuses, 
and stimulate him to diligence in making his calling 
and election sure. They contradict the word of God? 
and the settled maxims, and experience of all his re- 
deemed people. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XVII. 

ON THE LOVE OF POPULARITY. 

My dear Friend^ 

Nothing can be more unchristian than a 
cynical contempt of our species. It is the legitimate off- 
spring of the most offensive pride, or mortified ambition, 
joined with self-ignorance and malignity. It involves a 
counteraction of the feelings of God. who, unworthy as 
mankind are. views them not to be beneath the notice of 
his infinite compassion, and has given his own Son to 
raise them from pollution and death. What would be 
the situation of the misanthrope, should the great Gov- 
ernour of the world treat him as he is disposed to treat his 
fellow -sinners? 

You cannot, without guilt, despise — as too degraded 
to be entitled to your regard— those, of whose nature 
you are a partaker, however you may pity their follies, or 
abhor their crimes. Nor should you be wholly indif- 
ferent to their favourable opinion, since it may sometimes 
be a testimony to your wisdom, or uprightness, and afford 
you advantages for promoting their present and eternal 
welfare. The estee7n of the wise and virtuous is al- 
ways desirable ; inasmuch as it is procured by just 
and praiseworthy actions. In this sense, " a good name 
is better than precious ointment." How wretched is he, 
who knows that he is, and deserves to be an object of 
scorn to the world ? 

But there is a love of popular estimation which is a 
very different thing from the love of " a good name," in 



156 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

the scriptural sense of the phrase. The latter includes 
the love of virtue itself; the former is a most selfish pas- 
sion, aiming at nothing but the gratification of vanity, 
and the supposed personal benefits, attendant on the ad- 
miration of the multitude. To the pursuit of applause, 
whether merited or not, there is a strong temptation in 
our natures as social beings ; in the principles instilled 
into our minds by education ; and especially in all those 
tendencies to moral depravity which have been entailed 
upon us by the fall. 

" The love of praise, howe'er conceal'd by art, 
Reigns, more or less, and glows in every heart ; 
The proud, to gain it, toils on toils endure; 
The modest shun it but to make it sure. 
O'er globes and sceptres, now on thrones it swells, 
Now trims the midnight lamp in college cells: 
'T is tory, whig ; it plots, prays, preaches, pleads, 
Harangues in senates, squeaks in masquerades; 
Nor ends with life, but nods with sable plumes, 
Adorns our hearse, and flatters on our tombs." 

The young are peculiarly in danger of an excessive 
regard for the favour of the world ; nor does piety itself, 
without great jealousy, much consideration, and fervent 
prayer on their part, secure them from the deleterious in- 
fluence of this seductive passion. 

You will not then consider, as unseasonable, the re- 
marks I am now to make for the purpose of guarding 
you against the undue love of popularity. It is an evil to 
which you are the more exposed, from the commanding 
power of popular opinion in this free country, where he 
who dares to maintain doctrines and practises which the 
community disapprove, will be assailed by the lashings of 
the angry waves, and either swept away, or buried be- 
neath their foam. It requires true nobleness to remain 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 157 

undaunted while the winds and the billows are passing 
by ; and patiently wait till a calm ensue, or the boisterous 
current change its direction. 

A regard to your own present quiet should make you 
comparatively indifferent to the applauses, or the neglect, 
of your fellow mortals. It is in general easy to ascertain 
the right. The great principles of moral rectitude, like 
those of truth, are unchangeable ; and, in most instan- 
ces, their applicability to specified acts, will not be difficult 
to him, who is of an ingenuous and candid mind. His 
mistakes, if he make any, will be those of the head, 
and not of the heart ; and will help, on the review of 
their consequences, to render his judgment the more 
clear, and fortify him the better against errors, for the 
time to come. Whereas, he who is in chase from day 
to day, of that Protean monster — popularity — is always 
grasping the air, and can never find repose. His chief 
study must be to learn the ever varying humour of the 
god of his idolatry ; to watch the restless eye of the 
demon, and prepare for him new incense, as his capricious 
nostrils shall demand. The follower of popularity is 
like a man, who should make it the business of his life 
to watch the shifting currents of the air, and run with 
all his might before the wind. How whimsical and ri- 
diculous would be such an one's appearance ! He is 
strongly agitated ; he is out of breath; he is in an agony 
of effort— and all to no purpose. Suddenly, the wind 
veers into another quarter ; and he finds, wretched man ! 
that much as he sought to avoid so dreadful a calamity, 
it is blowing directly into his face. 

The excessive love of popularity supplies a strong 
temptation to duplicity and dishonest management. You 
cannot, if you would, always conform your thoughts to 
those of the majority ; and if you are determined not to 

14 



158 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

be found differing from them, you will, of course, accus- 
tom yourself to conceal your real views, and to profess 
opinions which you do not hold. In times of peril, when 
uprightness and manly independence alone could avail 
to the correction of public errors, and perhaps save a 
State, you would be a base temporizer, and by your das- 
tardly spirit of accommodation, increase those dangers, 
which you should be ready, at the risk of your reputa- 
tion, and of your life itself, to avert. Did you ever know 
an ardent seeker of popularity, who was a thoroughly 
honest man 1 How will such an one cringe and fawnj 
in the presence of those whom he secretly despises, or 
detests ! His praises and his censures are alike interest- 
ed. His tongue is the unerring index of — what? his 
heart ?~no ! — but of that which he conceives to be the 
taste and sentiment most in vogue. He is like some 
of the ancient oracles, giving such answers, however ob- 
scurely expressed, as were reckoned most agreeable to 
the wishes of the inquirers, and best adapted to strength- 
en their confidence in the sagacity and kind intentions 
of the goddess, who was supposed to be concealed behind 
the curtain. 

The love of popularity, like every other unworthy 
passion, teaches the njind to be sophistical ; and the habit 
of sophistry positively weake s the power of discrimi- 
nation, while it stifles conscience, and extinguishes the 
emotions of virtue. Some wonder that your neighbour, 
Duplex, reasons so absurdly ; he is ingenious, and ex- 
tensively conversant with books; but you can never 
trust to his opinions. The fact is. Duplex has been en- 
deavouring to cheat others so long, that he has at last 
cheated himself; the mist he raised to blind other peo- 
ple's eyes, has settled upon his own ; and he sees no 
objects that are not either distorted, or magnified, through 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



159 



the hazy medium which he has himself created. His 
fault was originally that of levity and wilful fraud — he 
was conscious of the sin he committed ; — it is now a 
compound of moral wrong, and dulness of mental percep- 
tion. If you dissemble for the sake of agreeing with 
others, your next step will probably be to try to convince 
yourself that you have done right in this thing ; this 
will induce you to seek arguments in support of what 
you at first knew to be erroneous ; and, having thus 
obtained a conquest over your good sense, in one in- 
stance, you will find it the more easy to impose upon 
yourself in other instances, till you become, habitually, 
the dupe of your own artifice. Of all the victims of 
fraud, none are in so hopeless a case as they who deceive 
themselves. 

An excessive regard to human estimation is utterly 
inconsistent with a life of devoted piety, and a bold vin- 
dication of the faith of the Gospel, in opposition to the 
ridicule, reproach, or more violent persecution of that part 
of the world, whose favour is most earnestly desired. 
The vainest person Uving may be willing, if necessary, 
to forego the good opinion of a portion of mankind, for 
the sake of gaining the greater credit with his own party, 
and thus weaving for himself the chaplet, which they 
will delight to place on the head of one who has suffered 
in their cause. But to stand alone, hke Paul — like 
Athanasius — in defence of the Gospel, will not be possi- 
ble to him, who loves the praise of men more than the 
praise of God. If the eye be fixed on Christ, the heart 
will be bold in goodness, and able calmly to defy a world 
in arms. If it wander over lower objects, every dark 
scene that meets it will send a panic to the soul. 
Jesus Christ often warns us of the danger of being 



160 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

ashamed of him and his words, before the sons of men ; 
and assures ns, that the preference of any earthly friends 
to him is incompatible with the existence of evangelical 
goodness in the heart. "How can ye believe," said he 
to the impenitent Jews, " who receive honour one of 
another, and seek not the honour which cometh from 
God only ? " — " Ye adulterers and adulteresses," says 
James, '• know ye not, that the friendship of the world 
is enmity with God ? whosoever therefore will be a friend 
of the world is the enemy of God." And is the uncon- 
verted world, with the refinement and various restraints 
of modern times, materially different from the same 
world as it existed m the days of Christ and his apostles ? 
Has unsanctified human nature lost its malignity, and 
assumed features of real loveliness to which it was once a 
stranger ? 

A desire to gain the favour of men has led some — 
against the conviction of their own minds — openly to de- 
ny the Gospel ; others, to conceal their belief of its divine 
origin, or of the distinguishing truths which it reveals ; 
others, to change their professed creed with times and 
places in such a manner, as to be claimed by all parties, 
or were reckoned neutral, with respect to the most vital 
subjects which divided the Church. 

Temporisus was once a popular preacher. At the 
time of his ordination he was orthodox, and apparently 
spiritual. His confiding people supposed, that, in obtain- 
ing him as their minister, they had secured ^.n invaluable 
treasure. The only disagreeable trait observable in him 
was vanity. He longed to be admired by all ; by old 
and young ; by wise men and fools ; by his own people, 
and the entire surrounding community Hence he was 
ready to yield to every one's wishes. If one of his neigh- 
bouring brethren in the ministry had a few restless and 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 161 

dissatisfied hearers, they were sure to make Temporisus 
their particular confidant and adviser ; and he was as 
sure to join with them in their expressions of surprise 
and regret, at the indiscretions and rashness of their 
pastor. Poor Temporisus ! Though he might have 
had some spark of jealousy, on account of another's 
reputation, he did not seriously mean to injure his bro- 
ther ; and he was exceedingly shocked if it was inti- 
mated to him, that his conduct implied a want of fra- 
ternal kindness and sympathy. Did it imply this ? He 
had certainly intended no harm. He had aimed at 
nothing but making friends to himself. Who could 
blame him for wishing to increase the number of his 
friends ? The good will of the most worthless is surely 
to be preferred to their enmity ; and especially if their 
good will can be bought at so cheap a rate, as seeming to 
take part with them in their prejudices against their min- 
ister, who is, perhaps, better qualified for some other sta- 
tion than that which he now occupies. 

The worst, however, has not been told. In his first 
settlement, as he had a Calvinistic Church, the preach- 
ing of Temporisus was evangelical ; and he appeared to 
be warmly devoted to the vindication of truth — the in- 
terests of revivals of religion — the conversion of sinners — 
and every thing truly good. He afterwards removed 
into a part of the country, where a lax theology prevail- 
ed, and the enforcement of obligation was considered as 
the only thing needful to ministerial fidelity : — He soon 
began to shape his public discourses, so as to suit the 
taste of his auditors. Doing the will of God, he al- 
leged, was of more importance than a cold creed ; and 
he accounted doctrinal discussions, in which truth was 
defended, as too dry, and too abstruse, to be profitable to 
14* 



162 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

a plain people, who needed only to be taught what they 
should do to be saved. If he ever preached on what are 
called the offensive doctrines of the Gospel, it was in such 
a way as to please every body, except the stanch friends 
of good, old-fashioned divinity. Arminians and Unita- 
rians protested, that if all the orthodox had been as wise 
in their statements as Temporisus, instead of teaching 
ahsolutiini decreturn^ imputed righteousness, irre- 
sistible grace, ^c. they should have felt very little ob- 
jection to orthodoxy. One of the converts of Temporisus 
affirmed, that the reason he did not become a Christian 
earher was, he was disgusted at the horrible doctrines in- 
culcated in the old school, which his wise and learned 
friend, Temporisus, had explained to his entire satisfac- 
tion. The obvious inference was, that the heart of this 
convert was naturally so good, that he had but to see 
the truth, divested of the drapery which a senseless phi- 
losophy had thrown around it, in order to be attracted and 
subdued by its divine charms. 

In the height of his popularity, Temporisus would 
sometimes attempt to silence brethren, who were dispu- 
ting on such subjects as moral agency, native depravity, 
and the mode of the Spirit's operations in renewing the 
heart, by saying, that these w^ere not essential points, and 
that he should not think it necessary to suffer martyrdom 
in defence of any views respecting them, which he might 
entertain. Yet, when it served his turn to be caustic 
and severe, no man could be more satiiical than Tem- 
porisus was, against those who maintained the doctrines 
of grace, as they were formerly understood and defended 
by himself. He represented them, thus explained, to 
be fraught with all the contradictions, absurdities, and 
blasphemies, with which they have, in all generations, 
been charged, by Pelagians and infidels. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 163 

The story does not end here. Temporisus was, at 
length, transferred from the place of his second settle- 
ment, to a section of the Church, where other views than 
those he had lately preached, were popular ; and, as it 
was a maxim with him not to resist the tide of public 
sentiment, if he could possibly help if, he began to 
show, at large, how sound he was in the faith, and how 
highly he piized those venerable standards, to which the 
friends of the Gospel had been so long and so warmly at- 
tached. What he will be next, it is not easy to conjec- 
ture ; except that he will be found on what he believes to 
be the popular side. 

Thus he has forfeited his dignity, and lost the con- 
fidence of most of his early admirers, by the indul- 
gence of an ambition, as contemptible as it is un- 
christian. 

Pomposus was educated a Calvinist ; and so long as 
he was the minister of an obscure country village, he 
preached the doctrines of the reformation. He after- 
wards received a call to become the pastor of a large 
Unitarian Church ; —he accepted the invitation — and 
forthwith avowed himself a zealous Unitarian. He 
preached philosophy, criticism, politics, any thing but 
religion ; and gloried in the appellation of a Christian 
deist. He subsequently addicted himself to all kinds of 
worldly amusements ; and, after having sneered at vital 
godliness in almost every large city in the land, he was 
called away, with scarcely a moment's previous warning, 
to the awful bar of his final Judge. An unconquerable 
thirst for popularity fully accounts for this man's melan- 
choly career, and his end. 

By a too eager pursuit of popularity, one can hardly 
fail to lose the esteem of those, whose favourable opinion 
is of the greatest value. He may plead the importance 



164 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

of iacreasing his usefulness ; but all of much judgment 
must perceive that the thing he chiefly covets is use- 
fulness to himself. Popularity, may, indeed, confer 
povi'-er, but, too generally, the power which it gives is 
regarded as too precious to be hazarded, for the public 
good. This is, perhaps, always the case, where the popu- 
larity acquired has been sought for its own sake ; where, to 
allude to the language of another, it has been the shadow 
pursued, and not the shadow which follows. 

The devotee of popular opinion is a mere slave. He 
dare not act, nor speak, nor think, but at ,the dictation 
of his master. He who serves in the galleys, or he who 
is goaded on to labour before the driver's whip, suffers 
not a severer bondage. 

Nothing can be more fickle than popularity. It is the 
creature of fashion. Chameleon-like, it feeds on air ; 
and, if it do not pine aw^ay, it often dies with a surfeit, 
occasioned by overloading its digestive functions with 
this light and impalpable substance. He who is extolled 
to the skies to-day, is hated, or scorned to-morrow. The 
cry of the mob now is, " Hosanna to the Son of David : 
Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord." 
Anon, it is turned into the fierce and maddening yell, — 
" Away with him, crucify him, crucify him." The veri- 
est trifles may ^sufiice to make a man popular ; or he 
may be applauded for a time, for the mean arts of a cold- 
blooded selfishness, and crimes, for which he deserves the 
halter. A fine voice, a handsome face, a genteel ad- 
dress, have often been sufficient to gild over a worthless 
character, and give celebrity to dulness. With some, the 
great power of fascination has been in their heels. They 
have danced themselves into wealth and favne. The 
diflferent leaders of the^successive parties, during the reign 
of terror in France, were first caressed, then raised to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 165 

power, then plotted against, then arrested, then aban- 
doned by all, and then beheaded ! amidst the acclama- 
tions of the very people who had lately proclaimed them 
the guardians of Hberty, and the implacable enemies of 
oppression. Caesar tells his countrymen how he loves 
them ; they believe his honied tales ; he is their friend, 
their protector, their patron deity ;— they honour, they 
adore him ! — they bow their necks to the yoke. " O 
that I were made judge in the land," said Absalom, 
" that every man which hath any suit or cause might 
come unto me, and I would do him justice ! And it was 
so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him 
obeisance," however degraded might be the man's char- 
acter, or however filthy his apparel — " he put forth his 
hand, and took him, and kissed him." And " in this man- 
ner did Absalom to all Israel, that came to the king for 
judgment : so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." 
Yes ! they gave credit to his fair professions ; and we soon 
afterwards find many of them leagued together, under 
this factious demagogue, to overturn the government of 
his venerable father, the man after God's own heart, and 
place the crown upon the head of the chief rebel, the 
grand conspirator against the power and life of a parent, 
one of whose worst faults was an invincible partiality to- 
wards so worthless and unnatural a son. 

Such, too generally is that paltry thing, the attractions 
of which few can withstand — popular applause. It is 
ilot the homage of an enhghtened mind — it is not the 
tribute of the hearty paid to distinguished worth. It is 
bUnd s^nd senseless : and often its sounds are the more 
deafening in proportion to their want of meaning, and 
the insignificance, or turpitude of the being, whom they 
are designed to magnify. 



166 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

Depend upon it, my dear friend, the approbation of 
the judicious and the good, is of unutterably greater 
vakie ; — because it is a better test of excellence, and 
speaks more irresistibly to the heart than all the shouts of 
adulation ever offered to a popular favourite, though they 
united the voices of a hundred nations, and were loud 
enough to rend the very firmament. A mere worldly poet 
could say, 

" One self-approving hour whole years outweighs, 
Of stupid starers and of loud huzzas." 

Retired from the world, the most successful villain 
(who in public wears only smiles, and is surrounded by 
sycophants,) is a wretch, more wretched than the faint- 
ing beggar at his door. He feels the vanity of all his 
acquisitions. He feels his own worthlessness. He feels 
within him the gna wings of conscience, the worm that 
can never die. And when his popularity is lost — as lost 
it probably will be — what can remain to soothe his trou- 
bled spirit ? He has no friend in heaven, to whom he 
can repair for consolation and strength, when his earthly 
friends forsake him. The great Napoleon, encaged in 
St. Helena, poring over battles, and victories, and glory, 
now no more! — despairing of escape, and looking to 
death as his only retreat from the stings of this world's 
neglect— the very world that had once turned pale at the 
announcement of his name — is a monitor of piercing 
note to all the children of ambition, who seek their hap- 
piness in the possession of power, or in the applauses of 
men, down to the end of time. Well were it for them, 
if they would respect the lessons, which roll on every 
wave from that iron-bound island of the ocean. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 167 

Many of the best of men have been neglected and 
persecuted by the world. " They had trial of cruel 
mockings and scourgings ; yea, moreover of bonds and 
imprisonment. They were stoned ; they were sawn 
asunder ; were tempted ; were slain with the sword : 
they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins ; 
being destitute — afflicted — tormented : — (of whom the 
world was not worthy) — they wandered in deserts and 
mountains ; and in dens, and caves of the earth," 

Would you not rather suffer momentary reproach and 
shame with patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, than 
share in the transient honours which their persecutors 
enjoyed? What was the real glory of Tiberius com- 
pared with that of the insulted, contemned, and dying 
.Tesus ? Was not the song of the martyr, exulting with 
a hope full of immortality, far more glorious music to 
calm reason's ear, than the loudest blast of the trumpet of 
fame? 

That you should not court reproach, is too evident to 
need any enforcement. Be inoffensive in your man- 
ners ; seek to bless mankind ; and then look for your 
reward " beyond this visible diurnal sphere." You will 
thus enjoy the esteem of the best men on earth ; and se- 
cure the friendship of the noblest spirits in heaven. God 
himself will be with you, and be your God ; he will 
cause your enemies to be at peace with you, so far as this 
shall be for your real good ; and, however you may be 
unknown, or disregarded in this world, he will acknow- 
ledge you as his, and confer upon you immortal honours 
before an admiring universe, when all the legions of his 
foes shall be covered with contempt, and driven away 
into everlasting punishment. Is not this enough? 
What higher motive can you need to make you faithful 



168 PRA.CTTCAL RELIGION. 

to the death ? Who would consent, at the consummation 
of all things, to occupy the place of the man that has 
sacrificed his conscience to his interest ; his religion to the 
favour of insects — that begin to be, and flutter, and perish, 
in a day? 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XYIII. 

ON CHRISTIAN POLITENESS. 

My dear Friend^ 

I do not wonder that you are disgusted at the 
frivolity and heartlessness of much that passes for gen- 
tility in the world. The compliments, the pretensions 
too often found in fashionable society, are ill fitted to an 
ear accustomed to faithful deahng, and are disquieting 
to a heart that prefers sincerity to mines of wealth, and 
longs for a reciprocity of kindness, as the source of its 
purest earthly joys. An honest bluntness, bordering on 
incivility, is certainly preferable to a polished exterior, 
which is assumed from interested motives, and which, 
while it wears the guise of the most generous regard, 
conceals beneath it the meanest pride, and contempt of 
those who are weak enough to be its dupes. 

But while you detest the affectation and hypocrisy of 
that code of politeness which is taught in the school of 
Chesterfield, you will not forget that the counterfeit is 
always designed to represent something truly valuable ; 
and that it would be folly to reject genuine gold, because 
a base coin is sometimes circulated, bearing its name. 

Dr. Young has well said, 

" Good breeding is the blossom of good sense ; 
The last result of an accoraplish'd mind, 
With outward grace, the body's virtue, joined." 

There is a species of politeness, of which that so 
highly prized by worldly men is only an imitation, 

15 



170 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

which is not only consistent with Christianity, but flows 
from the full influence of its principles, illuminating the 
understanding, and diffusing warmth and vitality 
through the heart. The cultivation of this kind of 
politeness is the duty of every Christian ; and I enter 
on the subject the more readily, as my train of remarks 
in my last letter, from the tendency of the human mind 
to extremes, might possibly be supposed to inculcate a 
sternness of character, scarcely compatible with gentle- 
ness and courtesy. 

It is the glory of true religion, that it forms no moral 
monsters, with some of their members overgrown, and 
others, which are equally important, either wholly want- 
ing, or shrivelled into pigmy size. It unites virtues, ap- 
parently the most opposite to each other — the weak and 
the strong, the lofty and the low, in one harmonious 
combination, originating from the same great principle 
of obedience, which binds all holy minds to one another, 
and to God. 

Real politeness does not primarily consist in the ob- 
servance of arbitrary rules of etiquette ; these, of course, 
vary with times and places ; it is the outward expression 
of certain inward dispositions, which are always, and 
everywhere essential to the Christian character. 

It includes gentleness and suavity of manners. A 
disgusting rudeness may be found under a splendid 
garb, as well as a mean one ; in a palace as well as in a 
cottage ; it may be the accompaniment of the graceful 
bow, and the easy motions acquired under the tuition of 
the skilful professor of dancing, no less than of the 
clumsy gait, and violent gesticulations of the uneducated 
boor. Rudeness is the natural consequence of unre- 
strained pride, and selfish indifference to another's feel- 
ings. I have often observed, that those of the roughest 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 171 

temperament become mild and lovely in their demean- 
our, after their conversion ; and not unfrequently, one of 
the first visible symptoms of their declension in religion, 
is the partial return of that incivility, which made their 
company particularly offensive in their unregenerate 
days. Who can read the " Life of the Dairyman's 
Daughter," without being forcibly struck with the un- 
feigned delicacy and refinement of that poor young 
woman, as well as with the tenderness of her piety, and 
the steadfastness of her trust in God ? There is no 
school for acquiring all that is truly sweet and winning 
in manners, like that of Him, who encourages us to be- 
come his pupils, by the kind assurance that he is " meek 
and lowly in heart." 

Christian politeness will cure that " sore evil under the 
sun," a spirit of contradiction ; and dispose us to avoid 
the unnecessary introduction of disagreeable topics in 
our common discourse. Some seem to rack their inge- 
nuity, in order to say unpleasant things ; or they forget 
that any feelings except their own are deserving of 
regard. They are intellectual porcupines, whom it is 
wise to avoid, if you would not be wounded by the quills 
of their ill-humour, and provoked to retaliation. One 
will give you a long descant on the failings of some 
dear relative, or friend, whose name you cannot men- 
tion without love, or veneration. Another will take 
pains to load with praises, a character that he knows 
you regard as utterly worthless, or to shock your most 
harmless prejudices, which have no connexion with re- 
ligion or morals. If there is a subject, on which more 
than any other, you particularly dislike to dwell, some 
will be found, ready to bring it forth to light, and pre- 
sent it before you in every form, and attitude, most re- 
pulsive to your feelings. UnwilUng to see you cheerful, 



172 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

they seem prepared to do all in their power to make you 
dissatisfied with yourself, and discontented with those 
around you. They have in their souls a fountain of 
bitterness, and they cannot be satisfied, till it has poured 
its streams into yours ; or, wishing to monopolize all en- 
joyment, they appear to imagine that the destruction of 
your comfort will be so much addition to their own. 
With some, the great endeavour is to display their im- 
portance, by causing you to feel your inferiority. I know 
a smatterer in German, who seeks to impress upon all 
who are ignorant of that language, the vastness of the 
resources to which he has access, and the absolute stu- 
pidity and incompetency of the great body of English 
critics and commentators. What a poor creature, then, 
you must be, and how presumptuous, if you express any 
opinion on controverted questions, in the presence of so 
learned and illustrious a personage? 

You may, however, find it your duty to introduce sub- 
jects which are by no means pleasing to your company. 
They may be unwilling to hear the most important 
truths, on the cordial belief, or rejection of which, their 
eternal well-being depends. On the subject of religion 
you must not be silent : if you are, you betray the cause 
which you profess to love, and manifest a cruel indiffer- 
ence to the spiritual welfare of your friends. This all- 
commanding theme, true politeness will enable you to bring 
forward with the greatest possible kindness of manner ; 
so as to make it apparent that you are not seeking your 
own exaltation, and that you are moved in all you say 
by benevolence to men, and love to the Saviour. You 
will endeavour to lead on the way to the pointed warn- 
ing, by a series of appropriate observations, which shall 
gain the ready assent of the hearer, instead of arraying 
against you his sense of dignity, and his pride, by an 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 173 

uncourteous abruptness of remark, and severity of tone 
and countenance. Address him in such terms, that, if 
he be offended, it shall be the truth which excites hia 
displeasure, and not the ungentleraanly impertinence of 
the speaker. 

You should have a due regard to circumstances, the 
temper of the individuals to be addressed, and the most 
favourable moments for speaking, remembering the 
Saviour's advice. " Give not that which is holy to the 
dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they 
trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend 
you." 

True politeness will teach you to be very sparing in 
the use of satire. The reputation of a wit is poorly 
earned at the expense of charity. Better be regarded a« 
dull all your days, than be suspected and dreaded as an 
unmerciful assailant of the weaknesses and foibles of 
your fellow men. One may laugh at a sarcasm which 
infixes a lasting sting in his bosom, or which he detests 
for the cruel thoughtlessness, or malevolence that it 
betrays. 

Repeat not, heed not the tale of slander. Why should 
you dwell on the faults of the absent ? By doing this, 
you encourage a vein of ill-humour in yourself and others, 
besides exposing yourself to the jealousy of your com- 
pany, lest they too, when their backs are turned, should 
be assailed by the shafts of your ridicule or calumny. 
I cannot help fearing the man. who permits his tongue 
to be perpetually wagging against his neighbours. It is 
insolent in him to compel me to hear that, which gives 
me nothing but pain ; and I am apprehensive that, 
when he shall have access to other ears than mine, he 
will spare me as little as he now spares my friends. 

True politeness will, of course, dictate the avoidance 
15* 



174 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

of all indelicate, or profane allusions. They betray pol- 
lution, or irreverence in the heart ; and cannot fail to 
wound the feelings of every one who has any respect for 
religion, or decency. " Let no corrupt communication 
proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the 
use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the 
hearers." 

The habit of referring to texts of Scripture on frivolous 
occasions, or for the purpose of pointing a jest, can hardly 
be censured with too much severity. It connects the 
idea cf something low, or ridiculous, with that holy word 
of God, which is the only rule of our faith, which will 
survive all the revolutions of time, and whose declara- 
tions will be honoured in the endless weal or wo of every 
human being. To treat this blessed Book with levity, 
indicates a vanity, a folly of heart, which is as contrary 
to good breeding, as it is opposed to the dictates of piety. 
Would any but a vulgar being, or one most deeply de- 
praved, divert himself by turning into a subject of mjer- 
riment the most sage and solemn counsels of his father ? 
What then shall we say of him, who employs the lan- 
guage in which his heavenly Parent has couched his 
instructions to mankind, as the vehicle of drollery, or 
wit ? That after the repeated rebukes of this practice, 
it should still continue to prevail, cannot perhaps be so 
easily explained in any other way. as that noticed by 
Dr. Johnson, namely : The little invention which is 
necessary to make a ludicrous misapplication of 
famjiliar passages of Scripture. Here the mere 
dunce may be as keen as the Dean of St. Patrick, or as 
sportive and facetious as Addison, or Goldsmith. Cer- 
vantes himself could hardly have raised a louder laugh 
by the brightest flashes of his wit, than can be raised by 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 175 

the twentieth repetition of some low pun on the words of 
an inspired writer. 

A modest deference to the opinions and wishes of 
others, is indispensable to true politeness. No one but a 
clown ^ or a most conceited pedant, 'will seek to have his 
voice heard above that of every other person ; and in 
none is forwardness so offensive as in the young, who, in 
the presence of their seniors, are expected to take the 
place of learners, or at least to express their opinions 
with that air of humility, which is the greatest charm 
of wisdom and goodness. Dr. Witherspoon remarked, 
that when a young man was very talkative in all com- 
panies, it made little difference as it regards the indis- 
cretion he manifested, whether what he said wa« sense, 
or nonsense. " Some people," observed that shrewd old 
gentleman, as nearly as I can recollect his words, with- 
out referring to the volume which contains them — " some 
people throw away so much wisdom in their words, that 
they leave none behind to regulate their actions." 

Men will pass well in any company, who are more 
disposed to render to others their due, than to claim 
respect, or attention to themselves. Baron Knigge tells 
us, that he seldom failed to please those to whom he was 
willing to listen. They would go away and report him 
a great man, whom they had found on acquaintance to 
equal his high reputation. Had he sought to overpower 
them with a sense of his superiority, he might have 
talked with the eloquence of an angel ; but instead of 
giving him credit for his talents, they would probably 
have been dissatisfied both with him, and with them- 
selves. 

It is essential to true politeness, that you should pay to 
all men the honour to which they are entitled. Ofiice, 
rank, age, and different relations, should all be duly ob- 



176 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

served, in your intercourse with mankind. " Thou shalt 
rise up," says God, " before the hoary head, and honour 
the face of the old man." — " Render therefore to all their 
dues : tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom 
custom ; fear to whom fear ; honour to whom honour." 

The dispositions and acts implied in the kind of po- 
liteness I have recommended, are frequently and most 
earnestly enjoined in the holy Scriptures. Let me refer 
you to a few passages. All unkindness of language is 
expressly forbidden by our adorable Master. " Who- 
soever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall 
be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say 
to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council : 
but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger 
of hell fire." — " Mind not high things," says Paul, " but 
condescend to men of low estate." — " But the fruit of the 
Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good- 
ness." — " And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted." 
— " Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and 
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of 
mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, 
and forgiving one another." Read also Phil. iv. 8. 1 
Thess. ii. 7. 2 Tim. ii. 24. Titus iii. 2. James iii. 17. 
1 Pet. iii. 8. 

This genuine politeness may be possessed by the plain 
and uneducated, as well as by those of the highest men- 
tal culture. The straw-thatched dwelling is as favour- 
able to its growth as the throne. It springs sponta- 
neously from that humility and benevolence, the ap- 
pearance of which constitutes, in no small part, the 
courtesy of ths man of the world. Without this appear- 
ance, his style, stateliness, and self-possession, would 
repel all approach, making him the object of general 
aversion and dread. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 177 

TJiis politeness is recommended by the worthiest 
examples. 

From the account given of Abraham in Gen. xxiii. 
relative to the purchase of a burying place, it is manifest, 
that the venerable patriarch, even in a time of the 
severest affliction, was not unmindful of the little pro- 
prieties and civilities of life. He aimed to treat others 
with a gentleness and decorum, which should gratify 
them, and evince the humanizing influence of his reli- 
gion. He "stood up, and bowed himself to the people 
of the land, even to the children of Heth ; " and in the 
entire transaction which followed, every circumstance 
was characterized by the strictest regard to delicacy and 
honour. 

The great apostle of the Gentiles was a memorable 
example of the virtue, which is the subject of this letter. 
In respect to the vital truths and duties of the Gospel, 
he had an inflexibility which has never been surpassed ; 
and his distinguished suavity of demeanour, is, for this 
reason, the more worthy of notice. .'' We were gentle 
among you," said he to the Thessalonians, '' even as a 
nurse cherisheth her children." — -'The servant of the 
Lord," said he to Timothy, " must not strive ^ but be 
gentle unto all men." Shaftsbury sneeringly denomi- 
nates him the " courtly apostle ; " intending to intimate that 
he had the hypocrisy of a courtier ; a slander, which 
was disproved by the whole history of his life. Yet 
there was an address, a pliability in respect to non-essen- 
tials, (resulting from the very strength and fixedness of 
his principles, and from his disinterested goodness,) com- 
pared with which, the manners of a mere courtier seem 
as deficient in skill, as they are in ingenuousness. His 
speeches before Felix and Agrippa have often been 
cited as admirable specimens of an oratory, alike con- 



178 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

viiicing and polite. His own account of the general 
course which he adopted in his intercourse w^ith individ- 
uals of different prejudices, gives a most perfect illustra- 
tion of my meaning. " For though I be free from all 
men " — he had none of the civility of a time-serving 
politician — " yet have I made myself servant unto all, 
that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I be- 
came as a .Tewj that 1 might gain the Jews ; to them 
that are under the law, as under the law, that I might 
gain them that are under the law. To them that are 
without law, as without law, (being not without law to 
God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain 
them that are without law. To the weak, became I as 
weak, that I might gain the weak : I am made all things 
to all men, that I might by all means save some^ In 
this simple statement, we find a practical observance of 
the most essential rules of genuine politeness, joined with 
the purest benevolence, and the most elevated senti- 
ments of piety. This was the man, whose Ufe was 
pre-eminently a life of faith; who was willing to be 
treated as the filth of the world, for the sake of the 
Gospel ; who counted all things but loss for the excel- 
lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. What 
a junction of the sublime in moral courage, with theun- 
obtrusiveness, sweetness, and gentleness of infantile in- 
nocence ! 

I have somewhere read that John Calvin, churlish 
as he is supposed to have been by most of the enemies 
of the Gospel, who love to associate his name with that 
of the unfortunate Servetus, adorned his transcendent 
talents by a mild and gentlemanly address, fitted to 
win every heart. 

Whitefield and President Davies had the easy man- 
ners of the most finished gentlemen ; and knew, with- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 179 

out manifesting indifference to the smallest iota of truth, 
or forgetting at any time their high responsibihty as 
Christians and ministers, to accommodate their conver- 
sation to every circle, and to every exigency. 

1 have been told that a man of loose sentiments, v^ho 
was one of the hearers of the excellent West, of Stock- 
bridge, and was often harassed by the faithful preaching 
of his minister, expressed himself on one occasion, in 
some such words as these, " Were not Dr. West one of 
the most perfect gentlemen in the world, he would be 
absolutely intolerable." 

In my early days, I had a slight acquaintance with 
that profound lawyer, and ardent Christian, the late 
Judge Reeve, of Litchfield, Conn. ; and in ray inter- 
views with him, 1 was struck with nothing more forcibly 
than the lovely simpUcity of his character, and the un- 
affected gentleness with which he would make the most 
modest man feel quite at ease in his presence. Never 
shall I forget the frankness, the warmth, the tenderness, 
with which he recounted instances of the triumphs of 
grace, in a revival of religion which was then in progress 
in the beautiful village where he resided. 

I might point you to many living examples — but I 
forbear. I cannot recollect the polite attentions which 
I received from several distinguished Christians in my 
youth, without the warmest gratitude. I was diflfident, 
and they raised me up ; 1 was entering with little ex- 
perience on the stage of my public duties, and they 
took me by the hand, and affectionately bade me God- 
speed. 

This politeness gives us friends with very little cost. 
It is the grace of charity, and adds a fourfold value to 
its gifts. 

By means of it, the Gospel is made to appear in its 



180 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

native urbanity and sweetness. It opens, by an easy 
process, avenues, through which the words of eternal life 
find entrance into the heart. 

Perfect gentleness and the most intense zeal are in- 
separable companions in the heavenly world. The 
dying Finley expressed a desire to meet the worthies of 
past times. " Many of them," it was observed to him^ 
'' were when on earth very plain people." — " True," he 
replied, "but they are perfectly polite now." 

May you and I be constantly preparing for those 
peaceful regions, where pure love pervades all, guides 
all, and communicates unutterable bliss to all, forever. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XIX. 



THE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN WITH RESPECT TO 
POLITICS. 

My dear Friend, 

The Christian is continued in this world, that 
he may be an ornament and a blessing to it ; and he is, 
therefore, bound to feel and express some interest in its 
passing scenes, instead of saying, with an ancient pagan, 
" It is a smoky house, and the sooner I am out of it the 
better." While the believer's most cherished associations 
and bonds of endearment are elsewhere, he has those 
which are common to his kind, and others, which are 
peculiar to him as a disciple of Jesus Christ, to attach 
him to the earth. He feels more than others feel, love to 
his species, and a regard to whatever is connected with 
their improvement and happiness. It follows, that he 
cannot, and ought not to be indifferent to the welfare of 
the political community of which he is a member ; in 
which he enjoys protection in the pursuits of industry ; 
freedom of religious opinion and worship ; security of 
property, liberty, and life ; and all the blessings that flow 
from righteous laws, and the faithful administration of 
government. He cannot go any where ; he cannot at- 
tend to the business of his calling ; he cannot take his 
food, nor converse with his friends, nor feel a sense of 
safety, as he commits himself to repose ; he can engage 
in no studies, in no recreations ; he cannot look upon the 
face of nature around him, and observe the steady ad- 
vances of civilization, quiet enjoyed, wealth increasing, 

16 



182 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

knowledge diffvisedj comforts multiplyingj and villages 
and cities rising on every side, as by the power of en- 
chantment ; he cannot reflect upon the past, he cannot 
turn his eye towards the distant future, without finding 
occasion to remember his obligations to his country, her 
equal laws, and her arm of power stretched out to shield 
and guide him, while it encircles and guards the inter- 
ests of all her dutiful children. 

To the Jews, in Babylon. God said by his prophet, 
" Seek the peace of the city, whither I have caused you 
to be carried away captives ; and pray unto the Lord for 
it : for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace." But 
was it the duty of the servants of the Most High to 
manifest a regard to the well-being of a heathen ciiy, in 
which their lot was cast? How much more should 
Christians be ready to contribute their efforts, in behalf 
of their own country, whose laws and usages are founded 
in the principles of justice, and where the institutions of 
the Gospel are maintained in all their purity. Our 
country ! what tender, what sacred reminiscences and 
hopes cluster around that venerable name ! 

Can any people have stronger motives to patriotism 
than the inhabitants of these States 1 To say nothing 
of other motives, the advantages afforded by our form of 
government, for propagating true religion within our 
own borders, while they lay a peculiar claim to our 
gratitude, call upon us to be always on the alert, that 
the republic suffer no detriment through our fault. What 
a privilege it is, that while we are permitted to worship 
God ourselves, agreeably to the dictates of our own 
consciences, we may without fear of molestation, publish 
those truths which we hold most dear, through the whole 
length and breadth of the land ! What free American 
could bear the thought of an autocrat, a sultan, an ec- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 183 

clesiastical establishment, interfering in his choice of 
books, in his religious forms, in the adoption and ex- 
pression of his most solemn opinions ? The overthrow 
of our political fabric would be the signal of the reign 
of despotism. The most frightful enormities would 
spring up at once from the ashes of our republican 
liberty. 

The extended right of suffrage here gives to the great 
body of our citizens, a high and momentous part to per- 
form in the government itself; inasmuch as it depends 
upon them, whether they who make, and they who ad- 
minister the laws, shall, or shall not be duly quahfiedfor 
their offices. 

Every Christian should seek to acquire so much know- 
ledge of the state of the country, of its wants, and of the 
character of individuals who are nominated for office, 
that he may be able to exert his influence in support of 
good measures, and give his vote for the worthiest can- 
didates. I do not mean to say, that he should be much 
employed in reading political journals, and party cir- 
culars ; his time is too precious to be spent in this man- 
ner ; and besides, he will be likely, by following such a 
course, to imbibe as many prejudices as just opinions, 
and to disqualify himself for that dispassionate inquiry, 
which is necessary to the discovery of truth. One or 
two periodicals, remarkable for sound views, candour, 
and caution in their statements, will be better than 
twenty, to Christians in the ordinary walks of life. 

It is doubtless, in most cases, the duty of every legal voter 
to cause his power to be felt at the polls. His neglect in this 
respect, is a bad precedent ; and may occasion a failure 
of the election of good men to office. Whatever the 
more worthy portion of the community may do, dema- 
gogues and heated partizans will never forget the ballot- 



184 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

boxes ; they will leave no means unattemptedj to accom- 
plish their own private and selfish purposes. Is it right 
to abandon the field to men of this description? Can 
you thus meet the responsibility which you have inherited 
from your fathers, and which you cannot throw off with- 
out ingratitude to them, suicidal violence to yourself, and 
parricidal injustice to your country? Political power is 
one of those talents which you have received from the 
bounty of God ; and if you make use of it for an un- 
worthy end, or bury it in a napkin, need you wonder if 
he, in his displeasure, take it from you, and give it to 
others, who will better appreciate his mercies ? A single 
vote is of some importance ; and it may determine an 
election, the issue of which shall affect the character and 
destiny of a nation for generations to come. I dwell on 
this subject, the more, because I know your aversion to 
every kind of strife ; and your desire of guarding your 
mind most scrupulously against all those worldly excite- 
ments, which are the chosen element of too many who 
call themselves Christians, in this age of controversy and 
innovation. I do no wonder, that you sometimes sigh 
with Cowper, 

" O for a lodge in some vast wilderness, 
Some boundless contiguity of shade." 

But you are in the world ; you must fulfil its duties ; 
and you caimot voluntarily seclude yourself from it 
without guilt. 

You should, indeed, beware that you are not unduly 
excited. Be a man of peace. The remark of Robert 
Hall respecting ministers, is no less true of common 
Christians, that there are few who will not lose some- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



185 



thing of their " sanctity by embarking on the stormy 
element of political debate." 

Commit not yourself to any party : for if you do, 
your independence will be gone; and you will feel 
yourself constrained to justify men and measures, that 
you cannot but secretly disapprove. Choose rather to 
incur the charge of inconsistency from angry politicians, 
than tamper with your conscience, and violate the prin- 
ciples of rectitude, for the sake of pleasing any man, or 
any set of men. 

You must, it it is true, so far as voting is concerned, 
act in the main with one or the other of the parties, into 
which the country is divided ; for, in most instances, it 
will be out of your power to select your candidates from 
the great mass of the community. You ought not, 
however, in any event, to vote for men, who are utterly 
disquahfied for ofRce. in point of intellectual attainments 
and moral worth. Throw in yowr sohtary vote for those 
who are competent, and upright, rather than give prac- 
tical countenance to the notion, that it is better to elect 
rogues, than be defeated in our leading party designs. 
To resist this notion is manly, and may be useful ; to 
yield to it is to lose all the advantages of free elections, 
to make the worst of men our masters, and to pave the 
way for the subversion of the government. 

The ambition of office is sordid and unchristian. It 
implies either the lust of power, or an overweening con- 
ceit of one's abilities. It was said of Washington, that 
his modesty was as unrivalled as his courage. He did 
not covet promotion. It was forced upon him by the 
urgent voice of his country. He knew the difficulties of 
an elevated station ; and he was conscious of those de- 
fects in himself, which others could not have observed in 

16* 



186 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

him, and which he could not so easily have discerned in 
other men. A Christian who wishes to rise on the 
waves of political distinction, can be little aware of the 
turmoil of the waters a few miles from the shore, and 
the perilous rocks and quicksands which threaten the 
crazy bark of the adventurer. 

If others name you for an important office, it may be 
right and expedient that you should consent to be re- 
garded as their candidate. Their wishes may, under 
some circumstances, be an intimation of the divine will 
with respect to your duty. Some must occupy "high 
places ; " and if you are raised to them without any im- 
proper procedure on your part, or any neglect of more 
important duties, nothing appears why your consent to . 
serve in them may not be an act of obedience to God. 
Should your situation be such that you could not accept 
a poUtical office, without an actual diminution of your 
ability to be useful to your country and the world, it 
would most manifestly be your duty to remain in private 
life. Judge impartially ; and come to the conclusion on 
which you will be able to reflect with pleasure in your 
dying hour. 

If you do accept an office, show 3rourself a faithful 
public functionary ; having respect to the laws by which 
your powers are defined and limited ; seeking the gene- 
ral good, rather than your own popularity or emolu- 
ment; and wilHng to retire at any time, in obedience to 
the wishes of your country. Give the sanction of your 
name and example'^to every good object ; discountenance 
all immorality ; and carry with you into every place, 
your reverence of rehgion and of its institutions. How 
shameful for an officer of the government in a Christian 
land, to neglect the sanctuary of God, or to profane the 
Sabbath by unnecessary travelling, visits, or any kinds 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 187 

of worldly business or recreations. Does he, " clothed 
with a little brief authority," think himself too great and 
honourable to fear and obey the God of heaven, by 
whom " kings reign, and princes decree justice? " He 
is to be pitied for his folly as well as for his guilt. How 
little does he resemble the best and the most renowned 
in ancient Israel ! How unlike is he to the early magis- 
trates of the American colonies ! How are his stupid self- 
exaltation, and practical atheism rebuked by the example 
of the fathers of the American revolution, whose names, 
and whose illustrious deeds will not be forgotten, till time 
shall be no more ! Washington, in his old age, would 
ride nine miles from Sabbath to Sabbath, for the purpose 
of worshipping the Most High in his earthly courts. 

The Christian, in whatever situation, must seek the 
peace of his country ; opposing by all proper means, 
that spirit of slander and misrepresentation, which sets 
one part of the nation against another, and threatens 
the dissolution of the entire political fabric. Be it his 
endeavour to make his countrymen feel that they are all 
brethren. Let him abhor all dishonest caucussing, plot- 
ting, and manoeuvring, by which the flames of party 
discord are kept alive ; so that selfish aspirants may be 
lighted by them to distinction and power. 

Be the warm friend of schools, colleges, theological 
seminaries, and all institutions, which are adapted to en- 
lighten and bless the whole land. Ignorance, vice, and 
ungodliness, are our worst enemies; and, unaided by 
these, all the fleets and armies of Europe, would be in- 
competent to our subjugation. If we perish, it will be 
by the action of principles, engendered and fostered in 
our own bosom. " Learning," says Lord Bacon, " doth 
make the mind gentle, generous, and pliant to govern- 
ment, while ignorance leaveth it churlish, thwarting and 



188 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

mutinous ; and the evidence of history doth clear this 
assertion, inasmuch as the most barbarous, and unlearned 
times, have been the most subject to tumults, seditions, 
and changes."—" Education," says Burke, " is the cheap 
defence of nations." — " This maxim," observes Dr. 
Chalmers, " is one of the weightiest oracular sayings 
which has ever fallen from any of the seers or sages of 
our land." — As to its author, says the same distin- 
guished preacher, " His was the wisdom of intuition ; so 
that without formal development, or the aid of logical 
process, he often, by a single glance," (as in the case 
before us,) " made the discovery of a great principle, and 
by a single word memorably and felicitously expres- 
sed it." 

Of the value and necessity of religious institutions to 
the maintenance of civil and poHtical liberty, we have 
the testimony of Washington, in his " Farewell Address 
to the people of the United States ; " and though the 
quotation is, or ought to be, familiar to every American 
citizen, yet wise and weighty as the sentiments which 
it contains are, and bearing the sanction of so venerable 
a name, its repetition down to the thousandth time, will 
not, I trust, be reckoned tiresome. " Of all the dispo- 
sitions and habits which lead to political prosperity," 
says that father of his country, " religion and morality 
are indispensable supports. In vain would that man 
claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labour to 
subvert these great pillars of human happiness ; these 
firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The 
mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to 
respect and cherish them. A volume could not trace all 
their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it 
simply be asked, where is the security for property, for 
reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obhgation 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 189 

desert the oaths which are the instruments of investiga- 
tion in courts of justice ? And let us with caution in- 
dulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained 
without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the 
influence of refined education on minds of a peculiar 
structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect 
that national morality can prevail in exclusion of reh- 
gious principles. 

" It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a 
necessary spring of popular government. The rule, 
indeed, extends with more or less force, to every species 
of government. Who that is a sincere friend to it, can 
look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foun- 
dation of the fabric ? " 

" Incomparable man ! " exclaimed one of his eulogists? 
'• He devoted his time, his talents, and his labours to our 
service, and he has left his advice and his example to us; 
and to all generations." 

The Christian should appreciate the importance of his 
country, in its connexion with the promotion of liberty) 
and the spread of the Gospel through the earth. A failure 
in our experiment with respect to the possible mainte- 
nance of free institutions, under the best advantages, 
would dishearten the philanthropists of every land, and 
call forth the note of exultation and triumph from all 
the minions of despotism. This country is emphatically 
the object of profound attention, and curious inquiry, to 
all who take any interest in the fate of republican free- 
dom ; especially to those who are waiting for their own 
emancipation, and to such as are looking to us as the 
chief pioneers and labourers in the stupendous enterprise 
of evangelizing the world. Shall the nations hope in 
vain for the diffusion of light from these shores, till it ex- 



190 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

tend to every coast, and overspread, like the effulgence of 
day, every island and continent on the globe ? 

The patriotism which would elevate one nation by in- 
humanity or injustice to others, much as it has been cele- 
brated in story and in song, deserves not the name of 
virtue. It is only selfishness, on a somewhat larger 
scale indeed, than that of the miser, who hves only to 
hoard ; or that of the thief, who treats as lawful plunder, 
every other man's property within his reach — hut it is 
utter selfishness still. Unrestrained in its operations, it 
w^ould give birth to perpetual provocations, unceasing 
wars, and every form of guilt and wretchedness. The 
patriotism which I recommend to you, is of a far differ- 
ent character ; it is but one of the ramifications of im- 
partial good -will to all mankind ; and the more it flour- 
ishes, the happier, the holier, will this world be. 

Every Christian should remember his country in his 
prayers. This is a duty too generally, I fear, overlooked ; 
and the omission, or careless performance of it, may be 
one reason of the evils we suffer, and of the dark omens 
which many can fancy they espy in the distant skirts of 
our horizon. Our pious ancestors were accustomed to 
pray much, and fervently for this land ; and many in- 
stances are recorded of manifest and signal answers to 
their prayers. A man, who intercedes for his country 
like Moses, and Joshua, and Elijah, does more for its de- 
fence, than can be done by the deepest political counsels, 
or munitions of war. In a time of great declension in 
ancient Israel, God said by the prophet, " I sought for a 
man among them that should make up the hedge, and 
stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not 
destroy it, and I found none." Let each Christian see to 
it, that he be such a man, as, standing in the gap^ ar- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 191 

rayed ia celestial panoply, shall be able to avert the wrath 
of Heaven from his beloved country. 

Forget not our rulers in your daily addresses at the 
throne of grace. " I exhort therefore," says Paul, " that, 
first of all, supplications, pra-^^ers, intercessions, and giving 
of thanks, be made for all men ; for kings, and for all 
that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and 
peaceable life in all godhness and honesty." 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XX. 

ON THE CHOICE OF A PARTNER IN CONJUGAL 
LIFE. 

My dear Priend, 

I am pleased to learn, that, as you are of a 
proper age, and in favourable circumstances for forming 
a matrimonial connexion, you are beginning to think on 
the subject, and wish for any suggestions which may 
serve to guide you in your choice. Whatever religious 
hypocrites, anchorites, and visionaries may allege to the 
contrary, marriage is the natural state of man, propitious 
to his principles, his virtue, his cheerfulness, the perfec- 
tion of his social existence, and all his real interests. No 
earthly office or condition is too exalted or pure, to admit 
a conjunction with the rites and immunities of this sacred 
institution ; an institution which Avas appointed by God 
himself, during the term of man's original rectitude, as 
pre-eminently adapted to his social nature ; which was 
preserved amidst the ruins of the fall, and guarded by 
the most solemn legislative enactments of Heaven :— 
which was subsequently sanctioned by the presence and 
mighty works of the Saviour at a wedding-feast, and 
vindicated, protected, ennobled by his express inculca- 
tions ; and the observance of which one of his inspired 
apostles has declared to be " honourable in «Z/." One 
of the monstrous deformities which is the particular 
subject of prophecy in the code of the Romish church, 
is her prohibition of marriage to the clergy, and other 
religious persons in her communion. *' Now the Spirit 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 193 

speaketh expressly/' says Paul, in 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3, 
"that in the latter times some shall depart from the 
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of 
devils," or doctrines concerning demons; "speaking 
lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a 
hot iron ; forbidding to marry, and commanding to ab- 
stain from meats, which God hath created to be received 
with thanksgiving, of them which believe and know 
the truth." Is not, thid as accurate an account of some 
of the principal delusions and errors of Romanism as 
could have been given, after " the mystery of iniquity " 
had been fully disclosed in the establishment of the pa- 
pal dominion, through the Christian world ? 

The institution of families, with all its various rela- 
tions and blessings, depends on marriage ; and, but for 
this, the condition of man had been scarcely preferable 
to that of the mere animal, who has no country, no bonds 
to attach him to his kind ; who spends all his days in the 
rudeness of his native state, and dies, at last, unhonour- 
ed and unlamented. How, but for marriage, could chil- 
dren be supported and educated ; and what sufficient 
inducement would there be to sustain that expensive 
and complicated social system, which is inseparable from 
mental refinement and civilization ? 

The family, with its discipline, trials, endearments, 
and mercies, is well fitted to be a nursery for a better 
world. It often is, and but for man's perverseness al- 
ways would be, a Bethel, where God is loved and wor- 
shipped — where the tear of penitence falls ; the eye of 
faith is lighted up by a serene smile; afflictions are 
borne with patience ; and painful duties performed with 
cheerfulness — till immortal spirits, thus feeling and act- 
ing, are "made meet" for their home in the heavens. 
To no earthly scene is the language of David, in the 

17 



194 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

133 Psalm, so appropriate, as to that of a religious and 
happy family. " Behold, how good and how pleasant 
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity ! It is like 
the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down 
upon the beard, even Aaron's beard ; that went down 
to the skirts of his garments ; as the dew of Hermen, 
and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of 
Zion : for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even 
life forevermore." 

Accept the following hints of advice, in reference to 
your conduct and motives, in seeking an individual to 
share with you the burdens and comforts of connubial 
hfe. 

First of all, ask counsel of God. " House and rich- 
es," says Solomon, "are the inheritance of fathers; and 
3. prudent wife is from the Lord.^^ Such a wife cannot 
come as a legacy ; she cannot be procured by wealth ; 
she cannot be obtained by mere human wisdom ; she 
is peculiarly the donation of the King of kings. She 
must therefore be sought of Him, who gives liberally, 
and upbraids not ; and who dehghts to direct those who 
rely on his merciful guidance. 

Be not too hasty in your choice, lest you have occa- 
sion to repent of your indiscretion. Avoid, also, that 
fastidious caution, which will assuredly doom you to a 
life of perpetual celibacy. You should, as Hannah More 
says, look for consistency, but not perfection, in the part- 
ner of your bosom. What is any frail child of Adam, 
that he should reckon himself to be deserving of a wife, 
who is without faults, and who has all the virtues of an 
angel ? 

While you need not absolutely disregard personal beau- 
ty, and mere external accomplishments, be careful that 
you do not overrate them. However they may captivate at 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 195 

the beginning, they will soon become insipid, or positive- 
ly disgusting to every sensible man, v^^ho finds them 
allied to a weak head, or a vain and trifling heart. 
Few of your first rate belles make good wives ; since 
they are so accustomed to adulation, that they cannot 
easily submit to the unnoticed and every day duties of 
domestic life. There is no necessary union between a 
fine face, or an elegant Jform, and the enduring graces 
of the mind. A very plain woman may have those 
charms of character and conversation, which, to the 
eye of a husband, will raise her above all competi- 
tion with the fairest, most brilliant, and most admired of 
her sex. 

Yield not to the whims of an ill-regulated fancy. That 
you should have a sincere affection for the person you 
marry, and prefer, her to every other woman, is required 
both by the Bible, and by the dictates of unsophisticated 
good sense. A marriage of mere prudence, where the 
heart has nothing to do in the choice, can hardly fail to 
be succeeded by indifference, if not by aversion ; and is 
little better than legalized licentiousness. The judgment, 
however, should in all instances go before the affections ; 
and you must be exceedingly deficient in that self-con- 
trol, which Christianity enjoins, if you suffer yourself to 
become permanently attached to a woman, who is un- 
worthy of you. The fact that indiscreet marriages are 
not always followed by the Avorst consequences, does 
not justify such connexions ; but merely illustrates the 
goodness of Providence, which often saves us from ca- 
lamities that we seemed resolved to bring upon ourselves ; 
or serves to teach us the strong tendency of the conjugal 
union, to assimilate minds originally most uncongenial to 
each other, or reconcile them to what, in any other situa- 
tion, had been insupportable. 



196 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

See that your motives are such as your conscience, io 
your sober moments, can approve. The fervours of 
passion are transient. But the love which is based on 
principle, continues unsullied by time ; flourishes amidst 
wrinkles and gray hairs ; sustains the wasting frame 
in the decrepitude and sorrows of age ; and wears a love- 
lier smile, and kindles with a more generous glow, as 
the almost sightless eye begins to catch visions of inex- 
pressible glory within the veil. The tenderness of John 
Newton's love suffered no abatement, after all the ro- 
mance and extravagant hopes of youth had departed for- 
ever. Cornelius Winter lived with his wife, in all the 
bland communion, fit for fellow Christians, and fellow 
heirs of the kingdom of Christ. 

A great disparityin the age, character, and circumstan- 
ces of those who are to be united in marriage, ought, in 
general, to be avoided. For beings of different genera- 
tions to be yoked together in matrimony seems unna- 
tural; as if the living had gone to the tomb to look 
for their most intimate associates. This may very easily 
remind us of the conduct of certain monks, who sur- 
round themselves in their dimly hghted cells, with the 
fragments of coffins and human bones, that they maybe 
the more deeply impressed with the worthlessness and 
vanity of all earthly glory. 

By disparity of circumstances, I do not mean so much 
inequality in wealth, as the difference which forms the 
basis of separate classes in society, involving a diversity 
of views, tastes, and customs, that scarcely admit of 
amalgamation. 

I will notice certain qualities in the partner of your life, 
which will be indispensable to your happiness, in what- 
ever situation you may be placed. 

One of these is jplain good sense. A weak woman^ 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 197 

though she be as graceful as a sylph, and beautiful as a 
houri, must be a tiresome companion to any well-in- 
formed man ; and totally incapable of managing the 
concerns of a family with dignity and propriety. Senti- 
mentalism may make him blind to her faults during the 
days of courtship ; but in the routine of her domestic 
duties as a wife, and in her conversation with his guests, 
he w^U be constrained to see what she is, and not 
unfrequently hang his head with pity and shame, as her 
folly is made apparent to every observer. 

How invaluable is sound discretion ! Is it not obvi- 
ous, that she who knows when to be silent ; when to 
speak; what to say; and what to do; — who is never 
unduly elated by good fortune, nor embarrassed and per- 
plexed by an unexpected occurrence — can do more, with 
ordinary talents, to make life agreeable to her friends, 
than, supposing her to be destitute of this practical wis- 
dom, she would be able to do by the most sparkling 
genius and acquirements ? '' As a jewel of gold," says 
Solomon, " in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which 
is without discretion." 

A good education^ preparing her to be your com- 
panion, and the intelligent guide of her household, is 
another quahty, which you should regard as highly im- 
portant in a wife. You know I hate female pedantry. 
This odious vice, however, is as often joined with igno-^ 
ranee as with learning. It is indeed, in most instances, 
the progeny of low breeding and superficial attainments ; 
and its most fatal bane is self-acquaintance and know- 
ledge of the world. With all its repulsiveness, it implies 
8ome estimation of what is truly valuable ; and, by its 
very pretensions, it does homage to intellectual pursuits, in 
distinction from those which are grovelling and sensual. 
She who has read nothing— studied nothing— will have 
17* 



198 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

no sympathy with your higher mental occupations. She 
will have an inherent vulgarity, which nothing can cure ; 
and if you seek to please her, there is reason to appre- 
hend that you will find your own mind gradually de- 
scending to the level of hers. Sheer ignorance necessa- 
rily dwells on trifles, and regards as strange infatuation, 
the contempt felt for them by a cultivated intellect, and 
its generous aspirings after fellowship with the noblest 
minds of other days. 

Another essential quality in a good wife, is an amia- 
ble natural temper. By this, 1 mean, affectionate 
feelings; a yielding disposition; and a readiness to 
oblige and be obliged. Some, whose principles are in the 
main good, have an irritabiUty, peevishness, and stub- 
bornness, which it would be a kind of martyrdom to 
encounter, in one so nearly related as a wife. If an un- 
fortunate husband dare to act, speak, or think for him- 
self, how is the lady, who has this cast of mind, surprised ! 
how is she grieved to the heart ! She had not thought — 
she could not have dreamed — that he was capable of be- 
ing so very, very cruel. — 

" Xantippe cries, ' Let nymphs who naught can say- 
Be lost in silence, and resign the day.' 
Through virtue, she refuses to comply 
With all the dictates of humanity. 
Wine may, indeed, excite the meekest dame, 
But keen Xantippe, scorning borrow'd flame, 
Can vent her thunders, and her lightning play, 
O'er cooHng gruel, and composing tea ; 
Nor rests by night, but more sincere than nice, 
She shakes the curtains with her kind advice : 
Doubly, like echo, sound is her delight, 
And the last word is her eternal right." 

In judging of the temper of a young lady, ascertain, if 
you can, on what terms she has lived with her parents, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 199 

and their other children ; for. in most instances, the dis- 
positions evinced in the early relations of life, will be 
equally manifest in the later. It must be by a kind 
of miracle, if an unamiable daughter ever become a 
mild, gentle, and 'obliging wife. Piety itself, though 
it will certainly and habitually counteract, will yet 
not wholly overcome, in this world, the evils which 
result from a temperament, originally jealous, sullen, and 
morose. 

Seek, in a wife, a disposition fitted to correct the 
faults of your own. It is by such an accommodation, 
rather than by an identity of temper, that the disposi- 
tions of married persons may be said to be adapted to 
each other. Julius is, constitutionally, prone to melan- 
choly, and his wife, Salome, is cheerful ; he is, conse- 
quently, much dependant on her for tranquillity of mind ; 
and she owes not a little of her soberness of thought to 
the gravity of his example, and the sententious serious- 
ness of his remarks. Had JuUus married Ophelia, who 
is addicted to sadness, they would have been uncomfort- 
able companions to each other, and gone on, weeping 
and sighing, all the way to heaven. On the contrary, 
had Salome been the wife of Sempronius, who has as 
much native gaiety as herself, they would have been in 
danger of a levity and merriment, scarcely compatible 
with prudent foresight for this world, and earnest prepa- 
ration for another. 

Overlook not the importance oi good domestic hahits. 
One may understand all the mysteries of the toilet, and 
know how to figure in every circle, without a single 
quality that shall give a charm — an air of comfort — to the 
little spot where you must, after all, look for your chief 
earthly happiness — home. You may sometimes find 
brilliancy in public, and sluttery at the fire-side, where 



200 PRACTICAL RELIGION/ 

none are expected but the poor husband, and the ordi- 
nary inmates of the family. No amount of wealth will 
suffice to make that a pleasant mansion, in which indus- 
try, frugality, neatness, and the love of home, are re- 
garded by the mistress as virtues too common-place to 
deserve her attention. Besides, a voluntary neglect of 
household affairs betrays great inconsideration, if not 
worthlessness of character ; as it involves a disregard of 
those fixed laws of order, which pertain to the very frame- 
work of well-regulated society. I am happy on this 
subject to avail myself of the remarks of Mrs. Sigourney? 
in her " Letters to young Ladies ; " a work, in which 
her judgment, her excellent principles, and her power of 
beautiful writing, are aUke conspicuous. "Since the 
domestic sphere," says she, -' is intrusted to our sex, and 
the proper arrangement and government of a household 
are so closely connected with our enjoyments and virtues, 
nothing that involves the rational comfort of home is 
unworthy of our attention. The science of housekeep- 
ing affords exercise for the judgment and energy, ready 
recollection, and patient self-possession, that are the 
characteristics of a superior mind. Its elements should 
be acquired in early life ; at least, its correspondent 
tastes and habits should never be overlooked in female 
education." 

Above all, my dear friend, remember that rehgion 
is the chief ornament of every character ; as it is that 
alone which can recommend any individual to God, and 
prepare the immortal spirit for its appropriate happiness 
beyond the grave. If you are a Christian, indeed ; if 
you have ever seen the beauty of true hoHness ; how is 
it possible that you can think any natural advantages — 
any acquired accomplishments — a sufficient substitute 
for piety in her with whom you would spend your days, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 201 

and who will do more than any other human being 
to shape your moral character and destiny, for honour 
or for disgrace ; for weal or for wo ? What union is like 
that which hohness creates ? What fellowship, like that 
which flows from a participation in the same hopes and 
fears ; conflicts and victories ? How can two walk to- 
gether, who are not agreed, as to their feelings towards 
God, his word, his requirements, his Son, his grace, and 
his service ? 

Intermarriages between the Israelites and idolaters 
were forbidden, on account of the injurious influence of 
such connexions on the religious principles and character 
of God's people. Deut. vii. 3, 4. " Neither shaltthou make 
marriages with them ; thy daughter thou shalt not give 
unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy 
son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, 
that they may serve other gods." Read also Ex. xxxiv. 
16. Josh, xxiii. 12, 13. Ezra, ix. 1, 2, 12. Neh. 
xiii. 24, 27. Human nature is the same now that it 
was under the dispensation of the law. Who can doubt 
whether a Christian in the married state, will be tempted 
to please an ungodly partner, by some abatement of that 
strictness which the Bible requires ? One concession 
of duty and principle commonly leads to another ; till, 
at last, a general conformity to worldly maxims sinks 
the soul in a spiritual apathy, from which it is not likely 
to be roused but by some severe chastisement from the 
hand of an offended God. Should the first demand for 
an unsuitable accommodation be steadfastly resisted by 
the believer, suspicion and partial alienation in the im- 
penitent individual would not improbably ensue ; and 
thus a foundation be laid for mutual criminations, and 
lasthig coldness. There are strong tendencies to sin in 
the best of men ; it is more agreeable to our natural inch- 



202 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

nations to do evil, than to do good ; and we do not, there- 
fore, need the solicitations, either expressed or implied, of 
our dearest friends to turn us aside from the rectilinear 
path of our duty. 

In the unconverted, whom he would win to holi- 
ness, the believer finds no principles of true virtue ; no 
predisposition, however small, to yield to the claims 
of God. On the other hand, in the Christian's depraved 
affections, as well as in his innocent social sympathies, 
there is much to prepare him to be influenced by se- 
ductions to sin, which are placed before him by one 
whom he loves, and are rendered doubly fascinating, 
perhaps by constitutional amiability of temper, and gen- 
tleness of manners. Is it not far more probable, then, 
that the believer will suffer injury from being connected 
in marriage with an unbeliever, than that the latter will 
be induced, in consequence of the same connexion, to 
seek and secure an inheritance in heaven ? " Be not de- 
ceived," said Paul to the Corinthian Church, " evil 
communications corrupt good manners." — " Be ye not 
unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Wherefore 
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the 
Lord." 

In the apostle's view, believers are ^' at liberty to be 
married to whom " they " will ; only in the Lord." To 
he in the Lord^ is an expression of frequent occurrence, 
signifying that vital unioQ to the Redeemer which gives 
to his people a title to justification, and all its concomi- 
tant blessings. To marry in the Lord is to marry with 
the views and feelings becoming a disciple of Jesus ; an 
heir of heaven ; by whom the possession of the Saviour's 
image, and a participation in his merits, are deemed of 
infinitely greater value than all the friendships, riches, 
and distinctions of this world. Is union in marriage 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 203 

with an avowed enemy of Christ, consistent with such 
views and feelings as these ? Would a man who regarded 
money as the supreme good, be likely to choose for his 
wife one wholly destitute of property, and without expec- 
tations of wealth from any source ? 

I have not time to enter into a full discussion of the 
subject. It is well treated in a Dissertation, by the Rev. 
William Jay, of Bath, England, which you will find, I 
doubt not, both pleasing and instructive. 

I say these things to you with the greater freedom, 
because you are, as yet, unembarrassed by any engage- 
ment. A Christian's promises in these matters, when 
no imposition has been practised by the other party, 
should be held inviolable ; and levity in breaking them 
will bring a deep stain on his reputation, and do great 
dishonour to rehgion. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXL 

To A CHRISTIAN ON HIS MARRIAGE. 

My dear Friend^ 

Accept my cordial congratulations. My prayer 
iS; that you may find in your union with the lady of 
your choice all, and more than all, the happiness, which 
you have soberly anticipated. In your endeavours to 
learn your duty, and to engage her affections, you pro- 
ceeded, I think, with due wisdom, and in the fear of the 
Lord ; and I am confident, that, as you have sought, so 
you have secured his merciful guidance. 

Excuse me, if, in the warmth of my friendship, I sug- 
gest a few thoughts which may be serviceable to you in 
your future conduct in life. 

Indulge no unreasonable expectations. You will 
doubtless find the need of exercising, and of experienc- 
ing a return of forbearance in your new relation. You 
are not ignorant of your own imperfections ; and, excel- 
lent as your wife is, you cannot expect in her an exemp- 
tion from the faults common to her race. Were she a 
sinless, or infalUble being indeed, you are well aware that 
nothing would have been more preposterous, than her 
marriage to one, of your frailties, weaknesses, and re- 
maining moral depravity. Treat her with great tender- 
ness. She has confidingly committed to your keeping 
much of her earthly happiness ; let her never find occa- 
sion to regret the hour, in which she consented to leave 
her father's house, and join her fortune with yours, in 
the most sacred of all human ties. Prove yourself her 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 205 

most sympathizing and generous friend, to whom she 
can with pleasure intrust her cares and solicitudes, and 
from whom she may receive counsel and support in 
every time of need. Be grateful for her kindness ; bear 
with her infirmities ; and delight to minister to her wants 
in health and in sickness. Nothing can be more brutal 
than indifference to a wife's sufferings ; or a disposition 
to exact from her, when sinking with pain and disease, 
the cheerfulness and prompt attention to her domestic 
duties, which may be reasonably expected at other times. 
Some husbands have an unfeeling savageness, enough 
to crush a tender heart that clings to them for con- 
dolence and support. They forget all the smooth pro- 
fessions and promises of their days of courtship ; and 
seem to find a kind of fiendish joy in pl£|ying the tyrant in 
that little empire — their own house. It is the glory of Chris- 
tianity to vindicate the rights, and guard the dignity of 
the feebler sex, by asserting their equality in all religious 
privileges with men, and by requiring of their husbands 
tliat respectful and affectionate treatment, which has 
never yet been found in all the pagan world. Read on 
this subject Eph. v. 25—28. Col. iii. 19., and 1 Pet. iii.7. 

Resolve, at all events, to do your duty in your various 
relations ; and ask yourself daily by what means you 
can most effectually promote the good, temporal and 
spiritual, of all the members of your family. 

Invite religion to be your constant guest — the sweeten- 
er of all your enjoyments, the solace of all your sor- 
rows. No auspices are so desirable as those of faith and 
prayer, sanctifying the dwelling of the newly-married 
pair ; no auguries of sooth saying could ever give such 
joy ; no promise of youth, reputation and talents, could 
ever afford such assurance of future years of serenity? 
dignity and usefulness. Hence the resolution of Joshua 

18 



206 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

was as wise for this life, as it was indispensable for the 
happiness of the life to come. " As for me, and my 
house, we will serve the Lord." 

My design, in the remarks I am now to offer, is chiefly 
to " stir up your pure mind by way of remembrance ; " 
or to impress upon your conscience the more deeply, 
truths and duties, which 5?^ou are already disposed to ad- 
mit, and practically acknowledge. 

You know, that family religion is as much your duty 
as personal religion. You are no less dependant on God 
for social blessings, than for those which have more ex- 
clusive reference to yourself — the support of your life, 
the continuance of your reason, the sanctification of 
your heart, the free forgiveness of your oflfences. Fami- 
lies have common mercies, sins and dangers ; hence 
the utility and importance of common thanksgivings, 
confessions and prayers. 

Let it be manifest that you make the Scriptures the 
polar star of your duty and destiny. Read the Bible in 
your family, daily, deliberately, solemnly ; endeavour to 
feel yourself, and to cause all the members of your 
household to feel the humbling, comforting, transform- 
ing power of the doctrines it reveals. It would be well 
to make use of some plain and evangelical commenta- 
ries, like those of Henry and Scott on the whole BiblCj 
Doddridge on the New Testament, and Bishop Home 
on the Book of Psalms. The good men of former days 
spent much more time than is usually spent by Christians 
now, in reading the Scriptures in their families. There 
was then, perhaps more of the piety which manifests it- 
self in all the common actions of life, and less of that 
which attracts pubhc attention, and excites the applause 
of the world. If you can sing God's praises to edifica- 
tion, I would advise you to unite with your dear partner 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 207 

in a hymn, or psalm, before you engage in the solemn 
act of prayer. Devout singing serves to drive away 
worldly cares, to compose the mind, and to prepare it for 
a serious and tender approach to the throne of grace. 

Begin and close each day with the social acknowledg- 
ment of God in prayer. You cannot but see the propri- 
ety of a grateful remembrance of his mercies, and the 
supplication of his favour during the day, when you rise 
from sleep — the image of death — and find yourself still 
surrounded by the countless expressions of his bounty, 
and the glories of his creation. " Day unto day ut- 
tereth speech," must surely then be the spontaneous lan- 
guage of every devout mind, that '' looks through nature 
up to nature's God ; " and how can such a mind help de- 
siring to awaken in the hearts of those whom it loves, 
the joyous emotions which itself feels ? Can it forbear 
adopting the exhortation of the sweet singer of Israel, in 
the 95th Psalm ? " O come, let us worship and bow 
down : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he 
is our God ; and we are the people of his pasture, and 
the sheep of his hand." 

After the curtains of the evening are drawn around us 
the toils of the day being ended, then is a time peculiar- 
ly favourable to serious meditation, demanding an ex- 
amination of our actions and motives since we arose in 
the morning, and urging us to penitential confession, 
thanksgiving, and fervent cries for mercy. Then, too, 
the members of a family are ordinarily gathered together ; 
and, while they participate in common blessings, seem 
unitedly invited to the mercy-seat of their common Fa- 
ther and God. The stillness and darkness of the world 
around them, and the brightness of the countless gems 
that bedeck the brow of night tell, in reason's ear, of 
the hour when the sojourners in this vale of tears shall 



208 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



have finished their work below ; when the shades of the 
grave shall have wrapped them round ; and the lights 
of another firmament, invisible to mortal eyes, in regions 
purely spiritual, shall have burst upon the astonished 
vision of their disembodied souls. As they are about to 
withdraw, for the sake of obtaining needful refreshment 
by sleep, how forcibly are they reminded of their help- 
lessness, and dependance on God's protecting care. If 
they meet again, to pass the salutations of another 
morning, how plainly will they be indebted to the watch- 
ful kindness of the great Shepherd of Israel, who never 
slumbers nor sleeps ! With these views and reflections, 
they are well prepared to prostrate themselves together 
at the feet of Him, who keeps them all the day, and 
whose providence is as constant and powerful, when the 
senses of his creatures are locked in obhvion, as when 
they are all awake to observation, and ceaseless dili- 
gence, and conscious joy. 

The propriety of morning and evening prayers was 
intimated in the daily sacrifices required by the law. 
" Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar," 
said God to Moses : '^ two lambs of the first year, day 
by day continually. The one lamb shalt thou offer in 
the morning ; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at 
even. This shall be a continual burnt-offering, through- 
out your generations." — "And Aaron shall burn thereon 
sweet incense every morning. And when Aaron light- 
eth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a 
perpetual incense before the Lord^ throughout your gen- 
erations." In allusion to these customs, representing the 
necessity of constant reliance upon the atonement, daily 
application to God's mercy, and daily forgiveness, the 
Psalmist said, '• Let my prayer be set forth before thee as 
incense ; and the hfting up of my hands, as the evening 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 209 

sacrifice." At the time of these sacrifices, good men un- 
der the law poured out tlieir hearts in prayer. Thus, 
when the controversy between Jehovah and Baal was 
to be decided by a miracle, in Elijah's day, we are told 
that the prophet's prayer was offered " at the time of the 
offering of the evening sacrifice." At the same time, 
Ezra made confession of the sins of Israel, and earnest- 
ly deprecated the righteous anger of God ; and Daniel, 
in answer to his prayer, obtained the assurance of divine 
favour, accompanied by one of the most remarkable pre- 
dictions, recorded in the Old Testament, concerning the 
promised Messiah. We are told, that, on one occasion, 
when Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, exe- 
cuted the priest's office, " the whole multitude of the 
people were praying without, at the time of incense." 
Agreeably to this, it is said in Rev. viii. 4. '' And the 
smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of 
the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's 
hand." 

Family prayer is warranted and required by the best 
examples. Wherever the patriarchs went there they 
erected altars to God ; there they offered their sacrifices ; 
there they gained his counsel, support, and perpetual 
friendship by their humble and fervent prayers. Abra- 
ham commanded his children and his household after 
him ; and this implies all that is essential to a religious 
education. But how can there be a religious education, 
where children are not taught, by both precept and ex- 
ample, to worship the God of heaven 7 Religion with- 
out prayer is as great a contradiction, as pulsation with- 
out arterial action, or seeing without eyes. 

David, amidst all the cares of royalty, and the most 
expensive acts of public religion, did not forget to return, 
and " bless his household ; " that is, to call his family to- 
18* 



210 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

gether that he might commit them to God, in prayer. 
Job was wont, as the inspired writer expresses it, to 
" sanctify " his sons, rising " up early in the morning, 
and offering burnt-offerings according to the number of 
them all." It has with much apparent reason been ar- 
gued, that the prayers of Daniel, for which he was con- 
demned to be cast into a den of lions, were those which 
he offered in his family ; for if they had been secret, 
how could it have been known that he did pray ? Was 
he ostentatious in his religion ? Did he not love to retire 
from the world, and commune with God in solitary 
places ? He surely did not wish to provoke persecution ; 
and, after the absurd decree which made religious wor- 
ship a capital crime, he adopted no new course to excite 
attention ; for it is expressly declared, Daniel vi. 10. that 
*' his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusa- 
lem, he kneeled upon his knees, three times a day, and 
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did 
aforetime^\ 

Our adorable Master was accustomed to pray with his 
disciples ; and, urgent as he was in inculcating secresy 
in their closet devotions, the form of prayer which he 
taught them, was social. " Our Father which art in 
heaven ; forgive us our trespasses ; and lead us not into 
temptation." 

How awful are the words, " Pour out thy fury upon 
the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families 
that call not on thy name ! " With this inspired passage 
in remembrance, strange it is that men do not tremble, 
who hve in the neglect of family prayer, or who omit 
this indispensable duty, whenever its observance would 
be an interruption of their business, or amusements. 
Do not they fear the divine judgments, who come to the 
family altar on the Sabbath, and then desert it during 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 211 

the week ? or, who habitually neglect it, except in sea- 
sons of peculiar general seriousness, or in times of un- 
common affliction 7 

We are commanded to "pray always, with all 
prayer ;" and most assuredly this precept is not obeyed 
by such, as neglect one of the most important kinds of 
prayer, which has been sanctioned by the example of the 
excellent of the earth in all ages. 

But why should I dwell on this subject ? Your feel- 
ings as a Christian — your dependance, your unworthi- 
ness, the invitations of Scripture, and your conscious ob- 
ligations to God, cannot but make you realize what a 
privilege it is, by your daily prayers, to engage his bles- 
sing on yourself, and your beloved family. You will 
find in this service a satisfaction and joy which the 
world cannot give ; and which would be sufficient to 
prompt you to its performance, were there no express di- 
vine injunction in the case. They who ask for an ex- 
plicit command before they will pray in their families, 
make it too evident that they know little of the delight 
which behevers enjoy in drawing near to God. 

As it regards the manner of social prayer, let it be per- 
tinent, serious, tender, and never tiresome. Avoid un- 
meaning formality on the one hand, and a vulgar phrase- 
ology on the other. Be neither dull, nor vociferous ; 
neither sluggish, nor hurried; neither timid and reserved, 
as if you were addressing an arbitrary despot, nor ir- 
reverently familiar, as if you were conversing with an 
equal, or giving your commands to an inferior. "Let us 
have grace," says the apostle, " whereby we may serve 
God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear ; for 
our God is a consuming fire." These words are con- 
tained in the same epistle, where, in view of the former 
sufferings, the compassion, and the present exaltation of 



212 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

the incarnate Saviour, his followers are exhorted to " come 
holdly unto the throne of grace, that" they " may ob- 
tain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

Live in the fear of God all the day long. Practise 
economy, industry, and all the domestic virtues, from a 
regard to his will and glory. Diligence in your calling, 
without a spirit of worldliness, is plainly enjoined in the 
Bible ; with the blessing of God, it will secure to you 
that competency by which you will be saved from some 
of the strongest temptations to distrust and dishonesty ; 
it will have a good influence on your whole temper and 
character ; add to your respectability ; and afford you 
numerous facilities of usefulness. Be hospitable, for 
thus will you cultivate your own benevolent affections ; 
enlarge your circle of valuable friends ; and be a bene- 
factor to the members of Christ's household, who may 
seek the pleasures of Christian society under your roof. 
Ever keep your passions under the strict government of 
reason and rehgion ; and make it your constant endea- 
vour, by a consistent example, to exhibit the Gospel in its 
genuine beauty, to all the inmates of your family. 

Honour God at your common meals, by an invocation 
of his blessing ; by a conversation at once intelligent, 
kind, and befitting the sobriety and cheerfulness of true 
religion ; and by the expression of your sincere thanks 
to Him, who continually feeds you from the inexhaus- 
tible storehouse of his bounty. " Every creature of 
God," says the apostle, in a passage which I quoted in^ 
former letter, " is good, and nothing to be refused if it be 
received with thanksgiving : for it is sanctified by the 
word of God, and prayer^ Is it not plain from this 
passage, that the common bounties of Providence are 
not sanctified^ are not enjoyed in the manner their 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 213 

divine Author requires, if they are received without 
thanksgiving and prayer 7 

Let the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of 
Hfe stimulate you to fidehty in every relative duty. Your 
death, at the utmost, cannot be far distant : it may be 
very near ; or the wife of your bosom may be suddenly 
hurried to an untimely grave. So spend your life, that, 
whether you be called to mourn over the inanimate clay 
of one so beloved, or leave her a solitary widow in an 
unfeeling- world, you may possess the confident hope of 
a joyful reunion in those " sweet fields, beyond the swel- 
ling floods," where the parting tear shall fall no more. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXII. 

ON TRUSTING GOD FOR TEMPORAL PROVISION. 

My dear Friend^ 

Habitual dependance on divine Providence for 
every good, while it is essential to the exercise of holy- 
faith, is attended with an inward peace, of which the 
irreligious man, who lives only for this world, has no 
adequate conception. It is alike the duty and the privi- 
lege of the Christian to regard God as his beneficent 
Parent, tenderly observant of his minutest wants, and 
interested in every occurrence which has the smallest 
relation to his welfare. He is not, indeed, to expect 
miracles, or the provision he needs, without such an ex- 
ertion of his own faculties as he is able to make, and as 
is demanded by his circumstances. It is no part of the 
divine economy, that believers in ordinary states of the 
world, should be fed by ravens, or sustained by manna 
literally descending from the clouds. "He becometh 
poor that dealeth with a slack hand ; but the hand of 
the diligent maketh rich " — " The soul of the sluggard 
desireth and hath nothing." These inspired aphorisms 
exhibit some of the principles of God's administration, 
according to which He ordinarily regulates his own con- 
duct in distributing his favours to mankind. Yet his 
Providential agency is as much concerned in the dis- 
tribution of the benefits conferred on his creatures, as it 
would be, did he act without regard to any general laws, 
or independently of any instrumentaUties or second 
causes. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 215 

My design in this letter, is to aid you in the practical 
recognition of Providence as the source of all your bles- 
sings, particularly those of a temporal nature ; in which, 
because the connexion between means and ends is com- 
monly apparent, men accustom themselves to be regard- 
less of the hand of the Creator. 

That the creation, as a whole, is entirely dependant 
on God for its continual existence, and the harmony and 
utility of its diversified operations, is a dictate of reason, 
no less than of revelation ; since, obviously, that which 
was dependant for a beginning, could never have become 
independent, or capable of upholding and managing 
itself, by virtue of its inherent power. Whatever may 
exist without God now, might always have existed with- 
out Him ; and if it is admitted that the mighty machine 
of nature, may be preserved and propelled forward by its 
own energy, we have no argument to show that a de- 
signing cause was necessary to its production in the first 
instance. On this hypothesis, we are bereft of every 
evidence that there is a Being of supreme intelligence 
and power ; because it renders needless the existence of 
such a Being, in order to account for the various phe- 
nomena which are seen to take place in the world. A 
denial of all proofs of the divine existence then, or 
which is the same thing, real atheism, is necessarily in- 
volved in the disbelief of the general superintending 
Providence of God. Once break a single link in the 
vast and mysterious chain of cause and effect, and you 
sever all worlds from the throne of the Eternal, and dis- 
solve and annihilate all the moral harmonies of the uni- 
verse. 

The same argument by which you prove the general 
government of God over his works, demonstrates the 
particularity of his Providence. As the whole consists 



216 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



of parts, the care of the former includes the care of the 
latter. The government of a kingdom comprehends a 
proportionable supervision and control of all the men, 
women, and children whom it contains. What would 
be thought of a general, who should affirm that he had 
the command of an entire army, but not of a single 
soldier, company, regiment, or battallion, of whom it was 
composed ? 

Little events and great are inseparably connected 
under the government of God. In this view, no occur- 
rence is unimportant ; each has reference to some mo- 
mentous end, connected with the well-being of the whole 
creation, and the glory of the Deity. The better we are 
able to understand his works, the more clearly do we 
perceive the proofs of infinite wisdom in them all, form- 
ing out of what had at first seemed a fortuitous jumble, 
a perfect system, illustrative in the highest degree, of all 
the exalted attributes of his nature. The delicate and 
almost imperceptible tints of the picture, evince as much 
the skill and consequent design of the artist, as the bolder 
outlines, and more prominent figures which attract the 
gaze of the most vulgar and unpractised spectator. 

A little being, clearly has no more sufficiency in itself, 
than a larger one. One world can no more revolve in- 
dependently, than the whole host of worlds that bestud 
the glorious galaxy. One stalk of grain has no more 
power to uphold itself, than has the entire vegetation of 
the globe. A worm, or an insect, surely, is as helpless 
as a quadruped — a quadruped, as a man — a man, as an 
angel. If all are helpless, all need support from an 
agency foreign to themselves ; and, if they receive it not, 
must sink into their primitive nonenity. 

The smallest things were created by God ; and that 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 217 

which it was not beneath Him to create, it cannot be 
beneath Him to preserve and govern. 

It is absurd to suppose that the laws of nature, as they 
are called, can ha\^e any efficiency, aside from the pre- 
sence and w^ill of Him who established them. What 
are gravitation, cohesion, magnetism, electricity, and the 
various processes of animal hfe, but so many modes of 
his action, which he has selected as best fitted to mani- 
fest his perfections ? To conceive of them in any- 
other light, were actually to undeify Him, making Him 
the passive instrument of a blind and uncontrollable 
fatality. It is therefore no sufficient reply to the preced- 
ing arguments, that an ingenious man can construct a 
machine — a watch, for example, the movements of 
which will continue when he is absent, or in his grave. 
He is not the author of the laws by which he acts ; he 
only employs for his own purpose those which already 
exist. 

These deductions of right reason are confirmed by the 
repeated and solemn declarations of the Scriptures. 
There it is affirmed that " known unto God are all his 
works from the creation of the world ; " that " his king- 
dom ruleth over all ; " that " He doeth according to hii 
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants 
of the earth ; and none can stay his hand, or say unto 
Him, What doest thou ? " The seasons, the elements, 
all nature, and all the revolutions of time, are represented 
to be under his wise and omnipotent control. 

He supplies the wants of the meanest of his creatures. 
Observe his language to Job. " Who provideth for the 
raven his food ? when his young ones cry unto God, 
they wander for lack of meat."—'' He causeth," says 
the psalmist, " the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb 

19 



218 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

for the service of man, that he may bring forth food oiit 
of the earth." — " The young Uons roar after their prey^ 
and seek their meat from God." — " These wait all upon 
thee, that thou may est give them their meat in due 
season. That thou givest them, they gather ; thou 
openest thine hand, they are filled with good." — " He 
giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens 
which cry." From God's unwearied care of inferior 
creatures, the Saviour urges his disciples to that affec- 
tionate and steadfast trust, which excludes anxiety with 
respect to future provision. "Behold the fowls of the 
air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather 
into barns ; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 
Are ye not much better than they ? Consider the Hlies 
of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they 
spin ; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all 
his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, 
if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, 
and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much 
more clothe you, O ye of little faith? " The argument 
is unanswerable ; the appeal to the heart is resistless. 
Will the universal Father nourish with unceasing 
bounty, the sparrow's callow brood, and yet be unmind- 
ful of those bodily comforts which are needed by his own 
children, whom he has redeemed at the expense of the 
most precious blood, and to whom he has promised robes 
of righteousness, and everlasting mansions in the skies ? 
We are told that " the way of man is not in himself;" 
that "it is not in man that v/alketh to direct his steps ; " 
and that " the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and 
he addeth no sorrow with it." — " The Lord," said Han- 
nah, " maketh poor, and maketh rich : he bringeth low, 
and Ufteth up." 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 219 

We are required to acknowledge our dependance for 
temporal provision, in our daily prayers and thanksgiv- 
ings. " Give us this day our daily bread." — " Give me 
neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient 
for me." — " Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing, 
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your 
requests be made known to God." 

The Most High has assured his people that in the 
way of their duty they shall receive from the fulness of 
his bounty, all that He, in his infinite wisdom, sees to be 
best for them. ^' He that walketh righteously and speak- 
eth uprightly — he shall dwell on high; his place of de- 
fence shall be the munitions of rocks ; bread shall be 
given him ; his water shall be sure." — '' O fear the Lord, 
ye his saints ; for there is no want to them that fear 
Him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but 
they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." 
" Trust in the Lord, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell 
in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." — "He hath 
given meat to them that fear Him ; He will ever be 
mindful of his covenant." — " The Lord God is a sun 
and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory ; no 
good thing will he withhold from them that walk up- 
rightly." 

These promises are not to be distrusted, because many 
of the Lord's people have been poor. With all their 
poverty, their deep humiliation, their numerous woes, 
they were never forsaken by Him who first called them 
to glory and virtue ; He sustained them ; comforted 
them ; He directed all events concerning them, in such 
a manner as to secure most effectually their purification 
from sin ; their redemption from all evil ; their present 
peace, and their future everlasting happiness. 

When all earthly helpers have seemed to fail, God has 



220 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

sometimes provided for his friends, by means as unex- 
pected as they were honourable to his faithfulness and 
power. An unclean bird conveys food to the prophet, 
in a time of famine ; and afterwards the holy man finda 
a home, where he is sustained many days, at the house 
of a Sidonian widow. Were we not slow of heart to 
believe the word of God, who can doubt but we might 
trace new evidences of his merciful interposition in behalf 
of his saints, as worthy of notice, if not as miraculous 
as those which were observed in ancient times? He 
hears the cries of his people in their trouble, and He 
delivers them. Nor ought we to be afraid to vindicate 
this precious truth, because enthusiasts may ignorantly 
wrest it to justify unwarrantable expectations, or slothful 
inattention to the proper duties of their calling. Such 
men will pervert every doctrine of both natural and re- 
vealed religion. They extract a bitter from every sweet ; 
a deadly poison from every medicament of life. 

The subject of this letter is fitted to give us the most 
exalted views of God, as the Governour of the world. 
His greatness is truly unsearchable; He fills heaven and 
earth with his presence ; He rolls on unnumbered worlds 
through the vast regions of space ; and He could, by a 
word, speak countless other worlds into existence, that 
should shine and perform their mighty revolutions to his 
praise ; yet this same God upholds the smallest reptile, 
arrays in beauty the tiny insect's wing, numbers the hairs 
of our heads, and forms and carries forward every par- 
ticle of blood that circles in our veins. He clothes me ; 
He spreads my table in this wilderness ; He fills my 
cup ; He gives me my health, my strength, all my per- 
sonal and social comforts ; He watches over me, asleep 
ai^d awake, at home and abroad, in trouble and in jo^, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 221 

with more than parental assiduity and tenderness. If 
He forsake me one moment, I perish. If He frown, I 
immediately suffer such pangs as no tongue can utter. 
And what am I? A creature of yesterday — a poor 
child of dust — a thing which the moth can crush — a 
sinner, a rebel, deserving the lowest hell. O matchless 
condescension ! Grace that knows no bounds ! I bow 
before this wonder-working God ; this God, who unites 
in himself such marvellous extremes of majesty and 
gentleness, supremacy and pity ; and henceforth be it 
my great concern, meekly to do. and patiently to suffer, 
all his will. 

How tender should be our gratitude ! What has He 
not done for us already ? And if we are his children, 
He has pledged his veracity — all the honours of his 
throne — that He will never leave, never forsake us. 
However trifling our wants, He will note them all ; He 
will participate in our little joys ; He will sympathize 
in our sorrows ; and He will permit no calamities to over- 
take us, which He will not overrule for our highest 
good. " The mountains shall depart, and the hills be 
removed ; but my kindness shall not depart from thee ; 
neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, 
saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee." Can w^e think 
of these things and not adore ? 

How unreasonable and sinful is despondency in a child 
of God ! You will find comparatively few, who do not 
at times indulge excessive anxiety with respect to the 
future. They see not whence the requisite supplies will 
come, and they know that God would be just, should 
he leave them to want and beggary. With the care of 
an expensive family upon you, and yourself perhaps, 
enfeebled by sickness, you, my dear sir, may see the 
time when you will be strongly tempted, to harbour ia 

19* 



222 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

your breast, melancholy forebodings derogatory to the 
faithfulness of God. Such is the time in which faith 
and patience are to have their perfect work. Your corn- 
fort then must be solely derived from the knowledge and 
enjoyment of the Sovereign of all worlds, your God and 
Father. He will not afflict you wiUingly ; He will lay 
upon you no heavier burden than He will enable you to 
bear ; and if you trust in Him, your consolations will 
abound as your necessities multiply. 

"Is resignation's lesson hard ? 
Examine, we shall find 
That duly gives uji little more 
Than anguish of the mind. 
Resign ; and all the load of life 
That moment you remove ; 
Its heavy tax, ten thousand cares, 
Devolve on one above." 

Every event will be so ordered, as to excite in the 
highest degree your admiring gratitude, when his entire 
plan concerning you shall be laid open to your inspec- 
tion. And perhaps too, as the tears of the Christian are 
falling, lest it should be out of his power to obtain food, 
raiment, and the means of education for his dependant 
children ; compassion towards him may be kindhng in 
the bosoms of some of the opulent, or some providential 
arrangements to improve his condition, may be on the 
very eve of completion. When Jacob said, '' All these 
things are against me ; " the time of his greatest joy w^as 
at hand. 

You remember, I doubt not, the poor widow who 
lived in a little cottage at the foot of the hill, which was 
a few rods west of your native village, where the maple 
and the elm, romantically ranged, cast their beautiful 
shadows over her dwelling. Her constitution had been 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 223 

nearly ruined by early hardships, and her spirits broken 
by the negligence and cruelty of an intemperate husband. 
He died without hope ; and left her nothing but her 
right in an old house already mortgaged ; a numerous 
family of children ; and her trust in Jehovah, who has 
declared himself to be the Father of the fatherless, and 
the widow's God. In the school of adversity she had 
learned to hate her sins, to repent, and to flee for refuge 
and consolation to the merciful Saviour. All who knew 
her admired the strength of her faith. In the greatest 
straits, she looked for relief in the kindness and promise 
of God, and she never looked in vain. Reduced and 
humbled as she was, she was obliged to beg of no one 
but her Redeemer ; and He, in his tender mercy, raised 
her up friends according to her necessities. Once, as 
her children were sleeping around her, in a cold winter's 
evening, her last brand was burning on the hearth ; her 
last loaf was nearly consumed ; and she was utterly 
unable to devise any method of procuring food and fuel 
for the morning. What could she do? She cast her- 
self upon her knees, and cried for help to her great De- 
liverer, who had never forgotten her in any of her trou- 
bles. She wept; but she was happy in committing 
herself, and her infant charge to her Almighty Friend 
in heaven, the gracious Hearer of prayer. She rose 
from the attitude of devotion, composed and cheerful. 
She had seldom known a sweeter peace than she then 
felt. In a few moments a rap was heard at her door ; 
one of her pious neighbours entered her humble abode ; 
he had brought her some comforts ; and, after inquiry, 
learning her situation, he took pains before he slept, to 
furnish her with every article which was immediately 
necessary to her relief. Was this timely assistance ac- 
cidental '/ Was she mistaken, when she inferred that 



224 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

God had touched the heart of this Christian brother with 
sentiments of pity, and sent him to her with his hands 
full of blessings, in that hour of her suffering and 
need? 

"Fear Him ye saints, and ye shall then 

Have nothing else to fear ; 
Make you his service your delight, 

He '11 make your wants his care." 

This subject may teach us the folly as well as guilt of 
resorting to any dishonest or unlawful means, to obtain 
needful provision. God's kingdom is supreme; the 
earth is his, and the fulness thereof ; and in his own 
time and way. He will deUver from every evil, those who 
obey his will, and cordially trust in his mercy. Do they 
suffer for the present ? it is for their profit and his glory ; 
and when the expected succour comes, it will be the 
more welcome for delay. By adopting any course which 
He has not warranted, to obtain relief, they practically 
question his universal dominion, his right to the obe- 
dience of his creatures, the truth of his promises, and 
his unchangeable regard to the interests of his people. 

Has the infinite God such care for the bodies of his saints, 
so soon to return to the dust ? how strong then, must be 
the regard he feels for the eternal well-being of their souls ! 
If their comfort here be an object which lies near his heart, 
how much more certainly will he provide for their 
happiness in that world, where they are to dwell forever ! 
His kindness here, is but the pledge of that which is to 
come. Here, they are permitted to taste of the first 
fruits; there, they will be gathered around their Father's 
board, and feast without restraint, without satiety, on the 
rich dainties which his love has prepared through eternal 
ages. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 225 

Let such meditations, my deaf friend, be very familiar 
to your mind. They will humble your pride, exalt your 
joys, enlarge the field of your vision, animate you to 
duty, and give you the sweetest anticipations of endless 
rest. Be solicitous for nothing but to be found in the 
way of obedience ; and leave all events to his wise and 
merciful disposal. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXIII. 

ON A christian's DUTY TO HIS MINISTER. 

My dear Friend^ 

I rejoice to hear that the clergyman, who was 
lately installed as your pastor, is a man of respectable 
talents ; of a thorough education ; orthodox in his senti- 
ments; sound in his judgment; and universally esteem- 
ed for the excellence of his character. A good minister 
is an invaluable blessing to any people, who are permitted 
to enjoy his labours ~ one of the precious gifts bestowed 
by the Saviour, at the time of his ascension, for the 
edification of his ransomed Church — a divinely appoint- 
ed instrument, for gathering God's chosen into his king- 
dom, comforting the saints, and aiding, in no ordinary 
degree, to prepare both the righteous and the impenitent 
for their endless destination. 

It is too common, in these days, when most of the 
ancient distinctions of society are sinking into contempt, 
and the abuses of power have become the great theme 
of popular declamation, to indulge a jealousy of every 
institution which is supposed to confer any kind of au- 
thority, even though it be founded in nature itself, or 
sanctioned by the express appointment of God. Thus, 
because ambitious ecclesiastics have, in past ages, tram- 
pled on the rights of their fellow men, there has been a 
tendency in the democratic sensibilities of this age, to de- 
ny, or undervalue, the prerogatives with v/hich Jesus 
Christ himself has clothed the meek, self-denying, and 
faithful heralds of his cross. It is deemed almost a vir- 
tue to traduce them, to cripple them in the exercise of 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 227 

their legitimate powers, and to render them subservient to 
the arbitrary will of a few wealthy or domineering leaders 
of the congregations, over which they are called to pre- 
side. The fear of their usurpation is, in many instaces, 
so great, that those who have no other than a self-created 
authority, undertake to prevent this sin in their min- 
ister, by practising it themselves, in a high-handed man- 
ner ; and they are countenanced in such injustice by all 
the baser passions of disorganizers, and enemies of the 
gospel. 

Remember that the Christian ministry was appointed 
by the Head of the Church ; and that it is his pleasure 
the office should be perpetuated to the end of time. That 
it was not a temporary expedient, designed merely for the 
infancy of the Gospel, is apparent from many passages of 
the New Testament. What less, I ask, is implied in the 
Redeemer's promise to his ministers? "Lo,I am with you 
alway, even to the end of the world." To the end of 
the worlds then, there will be ministers, who will need 
and enjoy the peculiar presence and support of their 
Master. What less can we understand the apostle to 
mean, in Eph. iv. 8, 11, 12, 13. ? " Wherefore he saith, 
When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, 
and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles ; 
and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, 
pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints ; for 
the work of the ministry ; for the edifying of the body 
of Christ ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, 
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a per- 
fect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness 
of Christ." The authority of ministers is expressed in 
the terms, by which their office is designated. They 
are stewards of the mysteries of God, shepherds, ru- 
lers, and ambassadors of Christ. The repeated pro- 



228 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

hibitions of lordly domination on their part, and the ear- 
nestness with which they are required to seek no higher 
distinction than what arises from acts of unassuming 
goodness, suppose that their master has given them pow- 
er, which they may pervert to an unworthy purpose. 
Who would think of exhorting one, who was evidently 
designed to be only the servile tool of a congregation, 
or of a few of its leading members, to take special care 
that he did not lord it over God's heritage. 

Your minister, it is true, has no authority over your 
faith ; but then he is entitled to your unfeigned respect, 
so long as he^ in the main, acquits himself in accordance 
with the instructions which he has received from his 
Lord. 

Sympathize with him in his peculiar trials and respon- 
sibilities, which are great enough to crush an angel, 
unsustained by a strength superior to his own. Your 
minister has. to a great extent, withdrawn himself from 
the common business of the world ; it is his chief employ- 
ment, to watch for souls as one that must give an account; 
and if he be faithful, he will be obliged to encounter not 
a little of the persecution of the wicked, and the vindic- 
tive opposition of hell. 

Love your minister, as the friend of his people, and the 
servant of Christ. Without such love, admiration and 
applause are worse than useless ; as they spring from 
vanity, and are calculated to foster vanity in a preacher. 
Gratified pride in the talents or popularity of a pastor, is 
doubtless, often mistaken for complacency in his moral 
worth, and respect for his office. The language of Paul 
on this subject is, " And we beseech you, brethren, to 
know them which labour among you, and are over you 
in the Lord, and admonish you ; and to esteem them 
very highly in love." — for what 7 for their captivating 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 229 

manners ? for their liquid tones of voice % — No, but " for 
their works' sake.^^ 

Spare his feelings. Some delight in unkind remarks, 
or in communicating to their minister all that has been 
said, or done, by any of his people, indicating indifference 
to him, or a dislike of his character, preaching, or mea- 
sures. What possible benefit can arise from such odious 
officiousness ? Tell him kindly, respectfully, what he 
should know, in order to his usefulness, but do not, un- 
der this specious pretence, take occasion to say what can 
only wound, without doing any good. The tendency 
of the fault to which I refer, is, in every respect, evil. It 
is especially the fruitful source of those jealousies and 
alienations of feeling, which are destructive of a clergy- 
man's influence. " Where no wood is," says Solomon, 
" there the fire goeth out ; so where there is no tale- 
bearer, the strife ceaseth." — " The words of a tale-bearer 
are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost 
parts of the belly." 

Nothing can be more unsuitable, nothing more vexa- 
tious, than the spirit of dictation. Dogmaticus thinks 
that nothing can be well done which is not done by his 
direction. His furnace, his anvil, his hammer, his arm, 
are the best in the world, for giving shape to every kind 
of instrument, whether designed to subdue the earth, to 
cut down the trees of the forest, or to be employed in de- 
fensive, or offensive, warfare. He is not backward in 
expressing his opinions to his minister, who is made to 
understand, that his implicit submission is expected ; and 
who will be regarded, at least, with cold suspicion, if he 
have the audacity to think for himself. Does not Dog- 
maticus know, that his right of command is no greater 
than that of every other member of the congregation ; 
that the man who would please every body can please 

20 



230 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

nobody ; and that his minister must act according to his 
own judgment, enhp-htened by observation and the study 
of the Scriptures, or he will prove himself to be utterly 
unfit for his sacred office ? It is a despicable ambition? 
which would instigate any one to seek to rule a congre- 
gation, through its minister. Let Dogmaticus ponder, 
on his knees, Ileb. xiii. 17, and then, if he can, under- 
take to exercise authority over his pastor. 

Be ready to defend your minister's reputation, when- 
ever it is unjustly assailed ; and take no part with such 
as delight to ridicule those foibles in him, the possession 
of which is not inconsistent with the most exalted piety, 
and nobleness of character. He will need all the advan- 
tages which general respect can give him, to ensure that 
ready access, without which, his labours will be fruitless,' 
to the consciences and hearts of his people ; and to de- 
prive him of these advantages, would be doing great 
wrong to the souls committed to his care. 

Be regular in your attendance on his ministry. Let 
not the thirst for novelty lead you from one Church to 
another ; for thus you will hinder your own improve- 
ment, set a hurtful example before others, and virtually 
tell him that you care little for his feelings, or usefulness. 
You cannot adequately enter into his views, nor appreci- 
ate his labours, unless you make yourself acquainted with 
his general course of instruction : — and, moreover, the 
religious gossiping of which 1 complain^ will give you 
itching ears, averse to solid preaching, and eager for 
the titillations of mere fancy, or exciting appeals to the 
passions. The Church wants none of those wandering 
stars, however they may sometimes glitter athwart the 
sky, which have no regular orbits, no centre of attrac- 
tion ; whose movements are governed by no laws ; and 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 231 

of whose future course no judgment can be formed, from 
any thing in the past history of their revolutions. 

Be not unreasonable in your expectations and de- 
mands. You ought, indeed, to look for the clear evidence 
of piety and devotedness in him, whom you honour, un- 
der Christ, as your guide to a glorious immortality. You 
should expect him to be a man of prayer, weaned from 
the foolishness of this foolish world ; and seeking, first of 
all, for himself, and for you, the kingdom of God, and the 
righteousness thereof You should expect him to be 
much employed in study, (a duty which is far too much 
overlooked, in the demand for public labours, in this day 
of excitement^) that, being well furnished with knowledge 
himself, he may be able to teach others also. If it was 
the duty of an inspired Timothy, to give attendance 
to reading ; to meditate on the things of the Gospel ; to 
give himself wholly to them, that his profiting might ap- 
pear to all ; how much more is this necessary to the 
uninspired, and comparatively inexperienced preachers 
of the present age. You have no right to be satisfied 
with an undevout, ignorant, lazy ministry. 

Yet do not look for impossibilities. Expect not a per- 
fect union of all excellencies in a poor, fallible man ; re- 
deemed though he be by grace, and pressing forward 
though he be, to the holiness and glories of heaven. 
Yet some, (and these are far from perfection themselves,) 
would have a minister more than angelic ; and are ready 
to complain, if he do not, in every respect, answer 
their extravagant washes They propose for him work 
enough to occupy the whole time and talents of at least 
two or three first rate men. They would have him contin- 
ually employed in social, or pastoral visits ; and yet make 
such progress in knowledge, and preach such sermons, as 
can be the fruit of nothing but unremitting application 



232 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

to Study. They would find in him that manliness 
of thought, which is the result of Christian independ- 
ence of mind, united with that cringing servility, which 
is utterly incompatible with any lofty flights of intellect, 
or holy moral daring. They would have him faithful 
to all, and at the same time peculiarly sedulous to offend 
no one ; both the reprover and the favourite of that very 
world which Christ informs us, hated him, because he 
testified of it that its works were evil. They would 
have him draw crowds after him, and fill with admiring 
hearers, the Church in which he officiates as pastor, 
while he vindicates unpopular doctrines ; and while 
they, perhaps, are reclining on their velvet cushions, and 
giving him little aid in his laborious dutie-s, by their 
friendly offices and their prayers. 

Some seem to expect from their minister, the work of 
omnipotence. They blame him, for their stupidity. 
They ascribe it to his fault, if his people do not enjoy a 
perpetual religious excitement ; though the apostles often 
laboured without success, and the pen of inspiration 
has assured us, that Paul may plant, and ApoUcs w^aten 
but God alone gives the increase. Restless, themselves, 
they are Hke thorns and goads in their pastor's side ; they 
insist, that he shall not only preach, but convert men ; 
and in their account, every sermon is worthless, which 
has not the metaphysics and the form of what, within 
the last few years, has been frequently styled, revival 
preaching. Poor man ! he must have Job's patience, 
else he will be tempted to resent such interference, or sink 
into utter discouragement. This morbid state of feeling 
in the churches, has been much increased, by the influ- 
ence of certain recent religious movements, which I need 
not here specify, and by the rashness of certain itinerant 
preachers, who can create commotions wherever they 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 233 

go ; whose element is agitation ; but who are wholly in- 
competent to the quiet and regular duties of the pastoral 
office. 

Do what you can to ensure to your pastor, a comfort- 
able worldly maintenance, and the punctual payment of 
his stipulated salary. A want of punctuality is a gross 
wrong to any individual who labours in your service ; 
whose dependance for support is on you ; and who, in 
consequence of your negligence, may be disqualified 
from fulfilling his own engagements and even providing 
bread for his family. This is your pastor's situation ; 
and, though he may not complain, yet, so long as he 
has the ph3^sical wants of other men, he cannot but be 
hurt by your injustice. By his talents, he might have 
acquired a competency in almost any sphere of worldly 
employment ; and shall he be permitted to suffer, because 
he has devoted himself to the spiritual and eternal inter- 
ests of his fellow-creatures? 

Hear the voice of God on this subject. " The laboureria 
worthy of his hire.'' These words were spoken to the 
disciples, in connexion with the requirement that they 
should make no provision for themselves, while engaged in 
preaching the Gospel. '' Who goeth a warfare at any 
time at his own charges ? who planteth a vineyard, and 
eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, 
and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these 
things as a man? or saith not the law the same 
also ? " — " If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is 
it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? " — 
" Do ye not know that they which minister about holy 
things live of the things of the temple ? and they which 
wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so 
hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gos- 
pel should"— what?— not starve, not barely subsist^ 
20* 



234 PRACTICAL RELIGION, 

but ^mve of the Gospel." — "Let him that is taught in 
the word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all 
good things. Be not deceived ; God is not mocked : 
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." — 
" Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of dou- 
ble honour, especially they who labour in word and doc- 
trine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle 
the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the labourer is 
worthy of his reward." It is my solemn conviction, that 
the plan of keeping ministers on short allowance, or 
compelling them to submit to the caprices of a people, by 
the summary process of starvation, is one of the crying 
sins of this country ; and its extensive prevalence is a 
proof that true rehgion is by no means as flcuiishing 
here, as many have supposed. I must think, that they 
who are truly profited by the Gospel, will love the man by 
whom it has been administered to them, and be disposed 
to free him from the anxieties attendant on pecuniary 
embarrassment. With what courage can a pastor prose- 
cute his work, whose mind is harrassed by the questions, 
What shall I eat? and what shall I drink? and who 
has no means of providing for himself a library, or a 
comfortable apartment for study. No wonder that a 
people, who can be wiUing to engage the time and la- 
bours of a clergyman, without a just compensation, 
should have occasion to complain of their spiritual lean- 
ness ; as they must, of course, incur the displeasure of 
that God, who has promised his servants, that he will 
avenge their wrongs. 

Encourage your pastor in every good work. When 
he preaches the most humbUng doctrines of the Gospel 
with plainness and pungency, do not manifest alarm, 
lest he should drive away some of his auditors ; but let 
him see that you are grateful for his fidelity ; that you 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 235 

are refreshed and excited to duty by the truth he incul- 
cates, and that you are ready to take his part, against 
hosts of cavillers. Regard with candour any measures 
he may propose, for the promotion of godliness ; if you 
differ from him, do it with kindness, and zealously co- 
operate with him in carrying his designs into effect, so far 
as they are agreeable to the Scriptures, and the dictates 
of a sound discretion. Be prepared to aid him in cate- 
chetical instruction, in religious visits, in the support of 
rehgious meetings during the week, and in all judicious 
endeavours to save souls, whether of his own immediate 
charge, or in the most distant regions of the earth. 

Cease not to remember him in your prayers. 1 have 
known some, who prayed for their minister in public, 
as if they intended to rebuke his faults, and stir him up to 
duty. You will never, I trust, be guilty of such in- 
decency and irreverence; understanding, as you do, 
the nature and design of prayer, and the meanness of 
making use of it to give utterance to sentiments which 
you would not dare to express in familiar conversation. 
That to which I would urge you, is real prayer, flowing 
from a heart full of kindness — a heart, intent on the 
glory of God, and penetrated by a sense of the trials, 
obligations, and responsibilities, of the evangelical minis- 
try. You well know, that your pastor can do nothing 
without divine aid ; that consequences vast as eter- 
nity, depend on the manner in which he discharges the 
duties of his high vocation ; and that the resistance of 
his message, by every impenitent sinner, is such, as 
nothing less than the energies of almighty grace can 
overcome. As you pity him in his conflicts; as you 
love him for his faithful labours ; as you would yourself 
derive advantage from his instructions ; as you would 
see him made the happy instrument of the salvation of 



236 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

his people ; forget him not in your supplications at the 
throne of grace, either in the closet, at ttie family altar, 
or in the larger social circle. A praying Church will 
make a warm hearted, faithful minister. As his people 
are fervently interceding for him, light is shed from the 
eternal throne, to cheer his heart in the solitude of the 
study, and to diffuse a glory over his countenance, while 
he proclaims the unsearchable riches of Christ to dying 
sinners. 

The apostles, holy and favoured as they were, felt their 
need of the continual prayers of the faithful. Observe 
the earnestness with which Paul requests the prayers of 
the Christians at Rome. " Now I beseech j^ou, breth- 
ren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of 
the Spirit, that ye strive together with me, in your pray- 
ers to God for me," Notice the manner in which he 
addresses the saints at Ephesus. "Praying always 
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watch- 
ing thereunto with all perseverance and supplication 
for all saints, and for me^ that utterance may be given 
unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make 
known the mystery of the Gospel." In writing to the 
Philippians, he expresses the confidence that his afflic- 
tions will turn to his salvation, through their ^'"prayer ^ 
and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." He also 
asks the prayers of the Colossians, the Thessalonians, 
and the Hebrews. To the first of these he says, 
"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the 
Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is 
with you ; and that we may be delivered from unreason- 
able and wicked men." 

Your minister surely needs, no less than Paul needed, 
that divine help which is granted in answer to prayer ; 
and which is not to be expected, if prayer be either omit- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 237 

ted, or offered without any suitable appreciation of the 
benefits it professes to seek from God. 

Prayer will greatly strengthen your attachment to 
your minister ; dispose you to put a charitable construc- 
tion on his conduct ; prepare you to receive his rebukes 
with meekness ; and to be edified by the doctrines he 
preaches ; and, at the same time secure to him, there 
is no reason to doubt, the reward of such as turn sinners 
to righteousnesss. 

I will merely add. give no countenance, by your ex- 
ample, to that fickleness in congregations, which, by 
occasioning frequent dismissions of ministers, hinders 
their most effective influence ; makes them feel as stran- 
gers wherever they are ; and threatens utter anarchy 
and desolation to many once flourishing churches in our 
land. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXIV. 

TO A CHRISTIAN WHO CONTEMPLATES A REMOVAL 
WITH HIS FAMILY INTO THE NEW SETTLE- 
MENTS. 

My dear Friend, 

You ask my advice with respect to your re- 
moval into the new country at the west, where you may 
assist in forming the character of the many milUons, 
who, it is beUeved, will exist there at no very distant day. 
I am not sorry that your attention has been turned to the 
subject. Be it your chief concern, to see that your 
motives are not sordid ; and that while you are desirous 
of improving your worldly circumstances, your govern- 
ing wish is to add to your usefulness, and glorify the 
God whom you profess to serve. 

You will not, I trust, be weary at the frequency with 
which I inculcate prayer ; as the Most High alone can 
give you the instruction you need, and make your way 
prosperous. Commit to Him the whole subject which 
engages your present solicitude ; and doubt not, but He 
will direct your course in such a manner as will be best 
for you, and most honourable to his faithfulness. 

As it regards the importance of a healthful location, 
a rich soil, good water-privileges, valuable woodlands, 
and faciUties for business, I will not speak ; since atten^ 
tion to these is urged by all the considerations of worldly 
prudence, and cannot be neglected by any man of com-. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 239 

mon forecast. Many, mistaking on these points, have 
reduced themselves to comparative poverty ; or seen their 
children, one after another, wasting away, or suddenly 
cut down by those diseases which are peculiarly incident 
to a newly-settled country. 

I need not remind you, that, when you leave your 
present home, you will sever many tender associations, 
and separate yourself from privileges, the value of which 
can be duly estimated only by their loss ; for this is a 
reflection that will naturally occur to you, and have its 
proper influence on your ultimate decision. A rash step 
has not seldom been followed by a repentance lasting as 
life. The green meadows, the mountains, the streams, 
the school-house, the church-going bell, the familiar 
faces, and the abundance of his native town, have been 
remembered with many a sigh, by the emigrant, in his 
log cabin, surrounded by unsubdued forests or prairie?, 
with no neighbours of a congenial spirit, when he was 
too poor, or too irresolute to return and seek a humble 
grave in the burying-ground of his fathers. 

Make it a prime object to secure to yourself in your 
new residence, the benefits of Christian society. In a 
neighbourhood of infidels and profligates you would find 
yourself most unhappy, because wicked company is the 
worst of solitude ; or you would be tempted to an adop- 
tion of the principles and usages of those around you ; 
or, should you personally escape the contagion of an evil 
example, your family would suffer great injury, and 
probably be ruined forever by its influence. The soul of 
righteous Lot was vexed from day to day, by the wick- 
edness of the men of Sodom ; but his children seem to 
have lost all sense of religion, and to have become as 
licentious and debased as the original inhabitants of the 



240 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

city. If you have an opportunity to emigrate and settle 
in company with some Christian colony, think yourself 
highly favoured ; for thus you may at once, in your new 
situation, feel yourself at home, enjoying the confidence 
and sympathy of pious friends, and be preserved from 
the temptations which are inevitable in a place where 
God is not feared. Let no prospect of temporal profit 
lead you to plant yourself among those with whom you 
can have no communion in what pertains to your most 
valued interests. Had Lot acted according to this sim- 
ple rule, the misery and the disgraceful events that fol- 
lowed his flight from Sodom, had never taken place, to 
tarnish his reputation, and give occasion to the enemies 
of the Lord to blaspheme the religion he professed. 

Carry wdth you all your conscientiousness, watch- 
fulness, and tender regard for the honour of your Saviour. 
It is lamentable to think how many who were once ac- 
counted Christians, leave all their religion, when they 
leave the place of their birth, and are no longer restrained 
by the constant inspection of their early associates. You 
will need to guard with great care against a gradual 
decline in the fervor of your piety, and your strictness in 
religious duties. You will see many who manifest no 
reverence for the Sabbath ; and of these, some who 
profess to be Christians, and perhaps zealots too, in what 
they call religion. 

Be as scrupulous in your respect for the Lord's day, 
however it may be profaned by others, as you ever were 
in the retired and quiet village, in which you have 
hitherto spent your Hfe. True piety flourishes or decays, 
as the Sabbath is honoured or undervalued. That day, 
the best of all the seven, collects and concentrates the 
holiest influences to form the mind and affections for the 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 241 

service of God below, and the unending worship of 
heaven. Judge Hale was not alone in the observation, 
that the manner of the observance of the Sabbath is in 
general, a fair index of all the following days in the 
week ; and it is certain, from the Scriptures, that he who 
regards that day as he ought, will secure, in no ordinary- 
degree, the blessing of God. 

Lose none of your zeal and regularity in family 
prayer. It will sweeten all your toils, and comfort you 
in all your sorrows. Amidst the loneliness of the wilder- 
ness, it will bring near to you that God, whose kingdom 
knows no bounds, and give to you those assurances of 
his protection and friendship, without which the popu- 
lous city, with all its " busy hum of men," and all its 
magnificence of art, is but a desert. The voice of prayer 
from the lowly cabin on the moor, has arrested the ear 
of many a weary traveller like celestial music, and made 
him think of better days gone by, and seemed to call 
him, with resistless power, to seek his happiness in 
God. 

Provide good schools for your children. You are 
bound to give them a useful and thorough education, for 
their own sake, for the sake of their country, for the 
sake of the Church, and of the world ; and, if you wil- 
lingly permit them to grow up in ignorance, your name 
will be subject to just reproach, so long as it shall be re- 
membered on the earth. 

Exert your influence to establish schools of a high 
order, where the young in sufficient numbers, may be 
educated for teachers, and for the various learned pro- 
fessions. Such was the policy of our pilgrim fathers. 
Next to primary schools, and the support of the Gospel, 
they sought to found colleges, where their sons might be 

21 



242 



PRACJ'ICAL RELIGION. 



trained to fill with dignity and usefulness, the highest 
offices in the Church, and in the state. If sound learn- 
ing, correct principles, and virtue, do not form the char- 
acter of our population in the great western valley, it 
will be formed by elements of the opposite description, 
guided by that spirit of speculation and insatiable love 
of money, which threaten already to become the all-ab- 
sorbing passions of this great- community. Can repub- 
lican institutions continue to be maintained against the 
combined agency of general ignorance, profligacy of 
manners, and the prevalence of selfishness in its most 
odious form ? 

Resolve to support public worship. If you settle in a 
place, where the inhabitants are at first too few, or too 
poor to maintain a minister, neglect not, on that account, 
regular meetings on the Sabbath ; and, if convenient, 
at other times. Select for reading on those occasions, 
instructive tracts, or printed sermons of the ablest and 
most evangelical divines, accompanied perhaps, by a 
brief commentary on some portion of the Scriptures. 
Without such reading, your meetings will be Hkely to 
degenerate into uninteresting formality, or the wildest 
enthusiasm ; since they will be deficient in that solid 
instruction, which is an indispensable guard against infi- 
delity, contempt of religion, and the mistaking of a 
feverish excitement, for the inward power of godliness. 
1 do not undervalue lay exhortation, even on the Sab- 
bath ; in its place, it may be very useful ; but as a sub- 
stitute for preaching, it is not to be compared with that 
which 1 have now recommended. It often contains 
much which is objectionable ; and it is not easily con- 
trolled by him who is called to preside at a meeting, how- 
ever judicious he may himself be. Let your meetings 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



243 



be commenced, and closed with prayer ; and at each 
meeting, sing two or three psalms or hymns, as you have 
been accustomed to do in the older settlements. 

Do what you can to secure the erection of a plain 
edifice for public worship, and the installation of a pastor. 
The early settlers of New England took their mmisters 
with them into the wilderness. Too long delay in the 
respects I have mentioned, may be followed with the 
most disastrous consequences. A people, thus negligent 
of their duty, usually become more and more divided in 
their sentiments, and more and more indifferent to reli- 
gious ordiaances ; and, of course, they find perpetually 
increasing difficulties in the way of establishing the 
Gospel among them. While men sleep, an enemy 
comes and sows tares. Anticipate the movements of the 
foe, and place upon the walls a faithful watchman, to 
proclaim the approach of danger. 

When you have obtained a good pastor, endeavour to 
retain him for years ; because the longer he remains 
with you, the better will he understand your interests, 
the more *' naturally," as Paul says of Timothy, " will 
* he ' care for your state," and the greater will be his ad- 
vantages for exerting a wide and salutary influence 
among his own people, and in neighbouring churches. 
However the love of variety may be harmless, when it 
extends to some subjects, it is wholly misplaced when it 
relates to ministers ; inasmuch as it hinders improve- 
ment both in a pastor and in his congregation, and tends 
to destroy that mutual affection between them, which is 
necessary to render the union either profitable or pleasant. 
In a new country, where advancement and change are 
eminently the order of the day, frequent removals of 
ministers are. in some respects, more hurtful than in 



244 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

older communities, where much, almost of course, re- 
mains, which is favourable to the perpetuity of ancient 
customs and opinions. 

In one word, forget not to cherish all the good habits 
you have acquired at home ; and lose none of your 
veneration for those institutions, under which our ances- 
tors became great, wise, and happy. Some think it 
iUiberal to retain their predilections for the Httle spot 
where they were born, when a new world is all around 
them, and a river of four thousand miles in length is 
rolling at their feet. Unworthy and sensual notion of that 
which constitutes true enlargement of mind ! The 
glory of a place does not chiefly lie in its extent, the 
fruitfulness of its soil, or the beauty or majesty of its 
scenery ; but in the character of its people — their intel- 
ligence, their wisdom, their enterprise, their virtue. 
Athens was a little spot : but from it, the lights of 
genius and literature have shed their effulgence over 
half the globe. Jerusalem was a little spot ; but from 
it have proceeded those beams of salvation which are 
destined to spread themselves over every valley, and 
mountain, and ocean, till the darkness of sixty centuries 
shall have rolled away, and one pure flood of moral 
glory invest and bless a regenerated world. New Eng- 
land is indeed a little spot ; but still it is the cradle of 
liberty, the nursery of knowledge, the loved retreat of 
religion ; and, after every memorial of a thousand dy- 
nasties shall have perished, unborn nations will, we trust, 
point to the rock of Plymouth, and say, " There stood 
the little band of Christian heroes, whose wisdom, zeal^ 
and prayers laid the foundation of a great empire, and 
whose children have carried the riches of commerce, the 
treasures of science, and the banners of salvation, to all 
the ends of the earth." 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 245 

Prove not recreant, my dear sir, to the sacred home 
of your childhood. Wherever you go, next to the name 
of Christian, let that of a genuine descendant of the 
New England puritans lie nearest your heart. 

Yours truly; 

Epsilon. 



2V 



LETTER XXV. 

CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE NEED OF SPECIAL 
GRACE IN REGENERATION, AND THE CALL TO 
IMMEDIATE REPENTANCE. 

My dear I^riend, 

I do not wonder that you are distressed, by the 
bold assertions of Dr. Confident, contrary as they are 
to the orthodoxy in which you have been educated, and 
which you embraced with so much satisfaction at the 
time of your conversion. He affirmed, you say, that there 
is no essential difference between common and special 
grace ; that God exerts no agency, except that of moral 
suasion, in renewing the heart ; and that to suppose him 
to operate efficaciously in producing this change, is to 
deny human liberty, and the sincerity of those calls to 
repentance, with which the Scriptures are full. It makes 
you shudder, you tell me, to recollect some of Dr. Confi- 
dent's expressions, which seem like blasphemy ; as that 
" God would be an infinite tyrant, should he call men to 
repentance, and then withhold from them those influ- 
ences which he knows to be absolutely necessary, in 
order to ensure their obedience ; and that if he subdue a 
portion of them, and not others, by his irresistible energy^ 
he is partial, and the non-elect have good reason to com- 
plain of his injustice." 

It may give you some relief to recollect, that this is 
substantially the same subject which has divided the 
Church ever since the days of Pelagius and Augustine. 
It was one of the great points of dispute which separated 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 247 

the principal reformers, Luther, Melancthon, and Calvin, 
from the more leading advocates of the papal supersti- 
tion. It was a capital question in the controversy with 
Arminius, in Holland, and in the discussions which sub- 
sequently took place between the Calvinists and Latitu- 
dinarian divines in Great Britain. This question was 
regarded by Whitby and Taylor of Norwich, as of vital 
importance in their philosophy ; and, on the other side, 
it has been reckoned of equal moment, by the ablest de- 
fenders of old-fashioned orthodoxy, Owen, Edwards, 
Bellamy, Hopkins, and Fuller. In this great question, 
we see the chief points of difference between the Armin- 
ian John Wesley, and that undaunted champion of free 
grace and electing love, George White field. In short, 
the whole subject resolves itself into this question, '' Can 
God control the minds of men, so that they will, in every 
instance, feel and act according to his purpose, without 
impairing their freedom, and in perfect consistency with 
the commands and invitations of his word? " The af- 
firmative must be maintained by all who understandingly 
hold the doctrines of total depravity, personal election, 
and Divine sovereignty in regeneration ; — the negative 
is commonly insisted on, by those who deny these doc- 
trines, and is earnestly urged as a strong objection 
against the entire system of Calvinism. I will not enter 
at large into this field. I will merely throw out a few 
thoughts in relation to that precise view of the subject, 
which called forth the opposition of Dr. Confident, and 
which he did not appear to see, was but a part of a 
great theory of moral agency, vitally connected with the 
belief or rejection of all the (fundamental doctrines of 
grace. 

Is it true, then, that there is no propriety in calling 
on men to repent without delay, provided that they are 



248 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

entirely dependant on the sovereign will of God, for spirit- 
ual renovation ? 

Here I remark, in the first place^ that the hypothesis 
of Dr. Confident, is attended with essentially the same 
difficulties as that to which he objects, and with others 
from which that is entirely free. If he believe in the di- 
vine omniscience, or perfect foreknowledge, he is con- 
strained to admit, that when God calls such as will 
finally reject salvation, to repent, it is in full foresight 
of the issue; and that he made them too, with all 
their powers and susceptibilities, and placed them in the 
circumstances assigned them, with the design of punish- 
ing them forever, for their wilful disobedience which he 
eternally foresaw. Admitting God's infinite knowledge. 
Dr. Confident cannot rid himself of these conclusions, 
unless he maintain that the actions of the Deity are 
unintentional, or, which is the same thing, are controlled 
by an invincible fate. But might it not be asked by an 
objector, in reference to the concessions which Dr. Con- 
fident feels himself obliged to make, — How can God be 
sincere in commanding men to repent, and sparing them 
with the assurance, that it is to give them a space for re- 
pentance, when he very well knows, that they will live, 
and die, and sink into endless torments, in their sins ? 
Were he not their Creator, indeed, there w^ould be far less 
difficulty in the case. Why did he, who is all-sufficient, 
give existence to those whose endless ruin he foresaw ? 
Let Dr. Confident, on the principles which he assumes 
in reference to the Divine government, satisfactorily 
answer these objections, if he can. He must allow the 
consistency of liberty, with some kind of necessity, which 
renders actions certain, or deny at once all moral obliga- 
tion, and plunge into the abyss of downright infidelity. 
Most clearly, as has often been shown, that which is cer- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 249 

tainly foreseen to be, 25 certain; and of every certainty, there 
must be some adequate cause. That cause cannot be 
strict contingency ; for such contingency, if the term 
have any meaning, is the very opposite of something 
which causes, or which is caused, or which depends on 
some previous purpose, or arrangement of events. 

Dr. Confident will find no relief by saying, that men 
sin by abusing their moral agency ; and that this a suf- 
ficient cause of their persevering and final impenitence ; 
for the question, will immediately arise, Who gave them 
their powers of moral agency, and why did the Most 
High form them with faculties which he knew they 
would pervert to their eternal undoing? Will Dr. Con- 
fident say, that a regard to the general good required God 
to do this ? " What ! " a caviller might say, " will God 
make creatures capable of sinning, and then leave them 
to sin, and then cast them off forever, and all for the 
general good 7 " What more difficult of comprehen- 
sion than this can be found, in any part of the system 
which Dr. Confident so strenuously opposes ? A man 
should know the bearing of his objections, before he 
urges them with too much assurance ; lest, perhaps, 
they rebound upon himself, and his own theory, while 
he imagines that they are simply demohshing the system 
of his antagonists. 

In the second place^ it is presumptuous to allege, that 
he who made the mind, cannot determine its volitions, 
without the annihilation or diminution of its freedom. 
Some speak as if they well understood the extent of the 
power of God, and all the modes and processes of his 
agency. But where were they when he laid the foun- 
dations of the earth? Where were they when he 
breathed into man's nostrils the breath of hfe, and 



250 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

man became 'a living soul ? Because we cannot get 
immediate access to the minds of men, does it fol- 
low that God cannot ? Because we cannot influence 
another's choice,; in any other way than by present- 
ing motives to his mind, is it reasonable to infer that our 
Maker cannot? or, that he cannot so act upon our 
hearts, as to dispose them to yield to motives, without 
destroying our freedom ? Who can tell but that it may 
be one of the laws of created mind, that it should be ne- 
cessarily subject to the control of the Creator ? Is it not 
preposterous to suppose, that any thing which he has 
made, should have escaped from his control ? The point 
I have in view may be illustrated by a reference to mat- 
ter. We manage matter only by taking advantage of 
the laws, which have been imparted to it by the Deity. 
But does it therefore follow, that He is restricted to these 
laws in his government of the material world ? Are not 
the laws, themselves, and the matter to which they 
belong, so sustained by him, that, were he to withdraw 
his presence, they would immediately cease to be? 
What would become of mind and its laws, and their 
mysterious effects, but for His constant presence and 
agency ? 

In the third place, it is an utterly gratuitous assump- 
tion, that independence in our choices is requisite to 
freedom. God's volitions are all determined by the best 
reasons, and in this sense cannot be otherwise than they 
are; is He, therefore, not a free agent ? The holiness 
of the Man Christ Jesus, was decreed and rendered 
certain ; was it, therefore, devoid of every praiseworthy 
quality ? The Most High has promised, that the saints 
in heaven shall never fall ; events, therefore, will be so 
ordered, as to ensure their continued fidelity ; but will 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 251 

they, on this account, cease to be free ? Freedom con- 
sists in the power of putting" forth voluntary exercises, 
in view of motives ; and the character of these exercises 
depends upon their nature^ and not upon the cause 
which produces them. Otherwise, it were necessary, in 
deciding whether a man's moral affections were right or 
wrong, to look at the anterior cause ; but on the same 
principle, agreeably to the reasoning of Edwards on the 
Will, it would be requisite to look for the cause of that 
cause, and so on to infinity. 

Will Dr. Confident contend, that mind can, and does, 
act without a cause ; and that such independence distin- 
guishes it from unintelligent matter ? It were sufficient 
to say in reply, that his own conduct contradicts his 
theory ; for he undertakes, by argument and persuasion, 
to draw men over to his party, thus assuming, that they 
can be influenced by some external cause. But if a re- 
sistless influence is inconsistent with their freedom, must 
not a lower influence proportionably impair it? Does 
the Doctor intend to destroy the liberty of his fellow-crea- 
tures, when he seeks to induce their comphance with 
his wishes ? The fact is, we can no more conceive of 
an uncaused volition, than of an uncaused soul, or an 
uncaused world ; however such men as Dr. Confident 
may endeavour to raise a mist before our eyes, by reiter- 
ating the expressions, "power of self-origination," — 
" omnipotence of the will," — " physical influence," and 
" passivity in regeneration." But if you take from him 
the error to which I now refer, and prove that our voUtions 
derive their character from their nature^ and not from 
their cause, you strip him of the last remnant of any 
respectable plea, to cover the nakedness of his philos- 
ophy. As to what he says of "converting us into 
machines,"— " making God the author of sin," &c., 



252 



PRACTICAL RELIGIONi 



the objections are too stale, and have been too often an- 
swered, to require a full exposure of their weakness in this 
place. I will only remark here, that nothing can have 
less connexion with moral obhgation and responsibility, 
than choices which are merely contingent, or are the 
result of an unintelligent action of the mind, not deter- 
mined by any previous state of the affections. It has a 
thousand times been demonstrated, that such freedom is 
an utter nullity ; or, were it possible, that it is wholly 
undesirable, and would be the greatest imperfection in 
rational creatures. There is, however, but one alterna- 
tive. This must be real freedom, absurd and monstrous 
as it is ; or real freedom may be maintained, while the 
mind puts forth volimtary exercises, from the efficacious 
influence of a cause foreign to itself. 

In reference to the objections alleged by Dr. Confident, 
against the doctrine of special grace, it might perhaps be 
enough to say, that they are completely refuted by the 
express declarations of God, who understands full well 
all the properties and powers of his creatures ; and by 
his conduct towards mankind as their ILeffislator and 
Judge. 

He does most plainly teach us, ^that regeneration is, 
in all instances, accomplished by his own Almighty 
agency. For proofs of this, I refer you to my sixteenth 
letter, where several passages relating to the subject be- 
fore us are collected ; and also to John vi., 44, 45, 65. 
Rom. viii., 28, 29, 30. Rom. ix., 18. Rom. xi., 5, 7. 
1. Cor. i., 14. iii., 5—7. 2. Cor. iii., 18. iv. 6, 7. Eph. 
i., 3, 4, 5, 18, 19, 20. ii., 8, 9, 10. 2. Tim. i. 9* 
Tit. iii. 4, 5. You will find, I think, in reading these 
passages, that most of them can have no consistent 
meaning, unless it be their object to teach that doctrine of 
effectual grace, which Pelagians, in all ages, have affirm- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 253 

cd to be wholly incompatible with human liberty. And 
will it be supposed, that the Holy Spirit did not know 
how to guard the language he employed, in such a man- 
ner that a fair and honest mind would be in no danger 
of inferring from it a doctrine, which is utterly subversive 
of moral age'ncy ? or, is it necessary to understand Dr. 
Confident's philosophy, before a man is qualified to inter- 
pret the Scriptures, according to their plain and most 
obvious import ? His language certainly implies this, 
when he says, that the mistakes of the Reformers, in 
their interpretation of Christian doctrines, resulted from 
their erroneous mental philosophy. What a pity, then, 
that the philosophy of Dr. Confident was not origi- 
nally communicated by revelation ; since so few have 
been acquainted with it ; since so many sages have 
stumbled for want of it ; and since it is, in fact, the 
primary light which is destined to dispel all the darkness 
that rests upon the pages of inspiration ! 

The character which the Bible gives of mankind an- 
terior to regeneration, implies the necessity of Almighty 
power to subdue their hearts to the obedience of the faith. 
The}^ are represented to be the enemies — not of an ima- 
ginary deity, while they love real excellence — but of the 
only living and true God. '' Ye have both seen and 
hated^ both me and my Father," Will the clear exhi- 
bition of his true character, then, suflice to overcome 
their enmity ? '• They hate the light^ neither will they 
come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved." 
But is it not absurd to say. that an increase of the very 
thing which they hate^ will cure their aversion to it? 
AVill a weak eye, that cannot admit, without pain, a sin- 
gle ray, be healed at once, or in the course of a few 
hours, if it be compelled to fix its gaze on the unclouded 
sun, in its meridian brightness ? Does Satan grow any 

22 



254 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

better, as he has clearer and clearer views of the perfec- 
tions of God, manifested in creation, providence, and 
redemption ? Mankind are declared to be dead in tres- 
passes and sins ; but who ever heard of a breathless 
corpse rousing itself to life and activity ? Observe the 
words of the apostle, in Eph. ii. 1 — 7 ; and then decide 
whether it be reasonable to believe that he intended to 
teach nothing more than conversion by argument, or 
moral suasion ? Could he have used such terms to ex- 
press an idea so simple and so accordant with what is 
observable in the daily transactions of life ? 

Thus we have the clear testimony of the Bible on one 
side of the question. Nor is it any less explicit on the 
other side. God, in his word, constantly treats us as free 
agents. 

He invites, calls, warns, promises, threatens. "Let 
the wicked forsake his w^ay, and the unrighteous man 
his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord and he 
will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he 
will abundantly pardon." — "Cast away from you all 
your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and 
make you a new heart and a new spirit ; for why will 
ye die, O house of Israel ? For I have no pleasure in 
the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God : where- 
fore turn yourselves, and livOvye." — "God now com- 
mandeth all men every where to repent." He assures 
us that his soul hates the wicked ; that he will not per- 
mit them to stand in his sight ; and that he will compel 
them to drink of the wine of his wrath, which is to be 
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indigna- 
tion. " He that believeth on him is not condemned ; 
but he that believeth not is condemned already ; because 
he hath not believed in the Name of the only-begotten 
Son of God." — "He that believeth on the Son hath ever- 



PRACTICAL RELIGIOJSr. 255 

lasting life ; and he that believeth not the Son shall not 
see hfe ; but the wrath of God abideth on him." — " Ex- 
cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." — "He that 
believeth and is baptized, shall be saved : but he that 
believeth not shall be damned." The Most High ex- 
pressly charges the impenitence and unbelief of men, 
to their pride, worldUness, obstinacy, and utter averion 
to holiness. 

Why should I multiply passages ? Perfect obligation 
and our entire dependance for holiness, are exhibited 
throughout the Bible, as aUke true, and as involving no 
serious difficulty in the view of any mind, which is satis- 
fied with the Divine government. In some instances, 
the two ideas are brought together, with peculiar force 
and beauty. " Surely after that I was turned^ I repent- 
ed.'''' — " And I will pour the Spirit of grace and supplica- 
tions, and they shall look upon me whom they have 
pierced, and they shall mourn." — " Work out your own 
salvation with fear and trembUng ; for it is God which 
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good plea- 
sure." The Father draws ; and as the consequence of 
his omnipotent agency, the sinner voluntarily comes to 
the Saviour for eternal hfe. 

The consciousness of freedom is of course supposed, in 
all the confessions made by good men, of their sinfulness 
and ill desert; and their conviction of entire depen- 
dance (unless we believe them to be guilty of egregious 
hypocrisy,) is implied in their prayers for the sanctifying 
influences of the Spirit, and in their grateful acknow- 
ledgments of God's mercy, in calling them out of dark- 
ness into his marvellous light. The consistency of moral 
agency and dependance, in whatever metaphysical per- 
plexities the subject may be involved, is recognised in 
the experience of every believer, who blames himself for 



256 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

all that is wrong in the state of his heart, and at the 
same time ascribes all his holy exercises to the efficacious 
grace of God. 

Whether then we can see the connexion between ef- 
fectual caUing in conversion, and perfect liberty, or not, 
both are to be admitted as true, on their own independ- 
ent evidence ; and both should have their appropriate 
influence on our hearts and lives. That there should be 
something above our comprehension, in the nature of 
that invisible, active being, the soul, and in the Divine 
government over it needs not surprise us ; for it would be 
surprising indeed, if it were otherwise. 

But if sinners will not repent, without the interpo- 
sition of effectual grace, what advantage can accrue 
from calling them to repentance ? 

Precisely the same difficulty, w^ere there no such thing 
as the effectual agency of the Spirit, would exist, in refer- 
ence to the propriety of God's requiring those to repent, 
whose final impenitence he has from eternity foreseen. 
The advantage and importance of the external calls of 
the Gospel, are as obvious on the former supposition, as 
on the latter. 

The reasons why sinners should be called to immedi- 
ate repentance, are such as the following : — 

(1.) Their absolute dependance does not, in the smal- 
lest degree impair their freedom ; nor interrupt, for a 
moment, the perfect exercise of their powers of moral 
agency. We can'aot conceive of any greater measure of 
liberty, using the term in an intelligible sense, than that 
which they actually enjoy. This is apparent from the 
preceding arguments, and scriptural representations of 
the subject. What greater objection then can there be 
to calling upon sinners to repent, than requiring them to 
perform any of the common actions of life '/ 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 257 

(2.) Their inability, though real, is wholly of a moral 
kind. They cannot repent, because they are utterly 
disinclined to duty ; because they are supremely opposed 
to a God of infinite excellence and glory. Such was 
the inability of Joseph's brethren ; for it is said, " They 
hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.'' 
The greater the moral inability, or disinclination of men 
to obey, the greater is their sin ; inasmuch as it is more 
criminal to hate God with all the heart, than to hate him 
in so low a degree as implies the possibility of reconcilia- 
tion, without the special exertion of his power. Other- 
wise it will follow, that men are the less guilty, in propor- 
tion to the degree of their malignity ; in other words, 
that the evil of their sinfulness diminishes, that is, they 
sin the less, as they become the more sinful. 

(3.) Immediate repentance is no more than the duty 
of sinners ; and certainly it is but reasonable that they 
should be required, Avhether willing or unwiUing, to do 
their duty. They have dehberately, constantly, and 
with all the heart, broken a holy and perfect law, which 
is designed and fitted to bind all parts of the intelligent 
creation to each other, and to the throne of God. And 
ought they not to repent ; that is, to condemn themselves, 
to take part with the Most High in the sentence he pro- 
nounces against them, and Uve, hereafter, as becomes 
his loyal subjects 'I They have insulted and dishonour- 
ed him ; and ought they not to abhor themselves for 
conduct so base and unnatural, and come to him with 
the spirit of the returning prodigal, begging for mercy? 
And if they ever have been, or ever will be, bound to 
do this, are they not under obligation to do it now ? The 
delay of repentance is but the further protraction of their 
rebellion. They should then be required to repent, that 
it may be made apparent, that in God's view, they are 
22* 



258 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

inexcusable in sinning against him ; and that he will 
afford them no countenance in their resistance of his 
authority. Should the command not be given, the in- 
ference might be, that he was disposed to allow the va- 
lidity of the pleas, by which they attempt to justify their 
stubborn impenitence and unbelief 

(4.) The earnest call to repentance being resisted, 
affords a most affecting exemplification and proof of the 
power of sin, in the heart. How great must be that ob- 
stinac}?-, which not all the commands, expostulations, and 
entreaties, of the infinite God, can overcome ! The 
strength of human corruption, and the magnitude of hu- 
man guilt, are thus made manifest to all creatures, who 
witness the conduct of impenitent sinners. 

(5.) The call to repentance is adapted to convince the 
transgressor of his utter depravity and ruin, and to leave 
him without excuse. It is accordingly used by the 
Spirit, as an important means of awakening the sinner's 
conscience, and tearing from him all his self-righteous 
hopes. 

(6.) It furnishes, at the same time, a striking illustra- 
tion of the greatness of God's forbearance and mercy to- 
wards sinful men. Vile as they are, he is willing to 
receive all who forsake their evil ways, and accept the 
proposals of his Gospel. 

(7.) It proves also, that they are the destroyers of 
themselves. No sin of Adam — no temptations of Sa- 
tan — no decree of God — no outward circumstances — 
could cause their endless destruction, but for their own 
wilful, most ungrateful, and inexcusable rejection of the 
overtures of mercy, through Jesus Christ. 

(8.) It vindicates the conduct of God, in withholding 
from them the^ influences of his Spirit . Is He bound to 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 259 

extend his saving mercy to those, who are so obstinate 
in transgression that they can shut their ears, and 
harden their hearts, against his most solemn commands, 
and tender entreaties? His right to leave such crea- 
tures to eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled 
with their own devices, can be doubted by none, who 
admit the propriety of his enacting and supporting any 
laws for the government of mankind. 

(9.) It is essential to true repentance, that men should 
feel themselves to be under present obligation to turn 
to God. How can they mourn over, and hate their 
wickedness of heart exercises, which are implied in 
repentance, if they do not see, that it is now, and ever 
has been, their duty to be holy ? This they will not see 
without consideration ; nor will they be hkely to consider 
their ways, except in view of the clear inculcations of 
duty. '' When the commandment came," says Paul, 
" sin revived, and I died." 

(10.) It is the revealed design of God to make use of 
the preaching of his Gospel, as the means of the con- 
version of sinners ; so that we have no reason to expect 
such a result without evangelical instruction. " Faith 
Cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 
A most essential part of the Gospel, is the call to re- 
pentance ; with which John the Baptist, and Jesus 
Christ, began their public ministry, and which, , we 
know, in connexion with the requisition of faith in the 
Redeemer, constituted the chief burden of the preaching 
of the apostles, to both Jews and Gentiles. In view 
of the truths taught in the Gospel, the sinner repents, 
believes, and finds that peace, which is the com- 
mencement of eternal hfe in his soul. The exercise of 
the moral affections always implies the discovery of some 
object which attracts or repels — excites approbation, or 



260 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

prod uces disgust. If the objects revealed in the Gospel are 
not placed before it, the penitent heart finds nothing to 
awaken its holy sorrows ; nothing to kindle its hopes ; 
nothing to give birth to its pure and spiritual joys. God 
too, delights to honour his ow^n word ; and not unfre- 
quently he bows the sinner's will, at the very moment, 
when the messages of eternal love are sounding in his ears. 

(11.) The disobedience to the Gospel of the great 
body of mankind, under the most solemn and earnest 
calls, evinces most impressively the sovereignty of God 
in regeneration ; and proves beyond a doubt that the 
salvation of his chosen is of grace indeed. They were, 
by nature, no better than the non-elect. They turned a 
deaf ear to his warnings; to his expostulations; to all 
the tender beseechings of his love ; till, by his mighty 
arm, and for his greatName's sake, he arrested them in 
their career of rebellion, and reduced them to a cheerful 
obedience. In the conduct of the finally impenitent, the 
elect see what they themselves would have been, had not 
He, who is greater than their hearts, vanquished their 
obstinacy, and humbled them in the dust, by his all-con- 
quering grace. How must they now and ever take 
shame to themselves ; while they adore and praise his 
eternal, distinguishing, rich, boundless mercy ! 

Thus, in every way, the call to repentance is seen to 
be right, and necessary, and honourable to God. While 
it serves to hide pride from man, it opens to his guilty 
soul a bright vista of hope, in the forbearance and loving 
kindness of that very Being, against whom he has sin- 
ned. It teaches him his perverseness ; and, at the same 
time, gives to the Holy One of Israel, the glory which is 
his due. , 

As for any mystery pertaining to the subject, it is not 
to be removed by denying, or explaining away, or modi- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 261 

fying any of the doctrines of revealed religion. The at- 
tempt to oppose one scriptural truth to another, because 
their perfect harmony could not be seen, has uniformly 
issued in a virtual denial of both, or in a confusion of 
views, rendering the Gospel, as it regards its genuine ten- 
dency, vsreak and powerless. Its origin is pride, and its 
end must be shame. 

1 hope that hereafter you will not suffer yourself to be 
troubled by the speculations of which you complain ; ex- 
cept so far as it is proper you should regret the preva- 
lence of dangerous error, and the injury it inflicts on the 
souls of your fellow-men. Be steadfast in the faith once 
delivered to the saints, into whatever disrepute it may fall, 
and however it may be assailed, even by those, who pro- 
fess the greatest zeal for the purity of the churches, and 
th« promotion of revivals of religion. It has been the 
common artifice of the impugners of the peculiar doctrines 
of the Gospel,to pretend great zeal for Christian practice ; 
but in the end it has been manifest, that the divorce of 
holiness from truth, is as impossible as the separation of 
colours from light, and of sound from the undulations of 
the air. 

On the one hand, feel intensely your obligations to 
God ; and, on the other, fly to his power and grace, as 
your only resource, under the pressure of conscious guilt 
and helplessness. Let the duty of the sinner, and the 
reality of his dependance, be your clue to the proper 
method of dealing with him, while, in their combined 
power, as motives, they urge you to the affectionate warn- 
ing, and to unfainting prayer. 

Let the thought that the hearts of sinners are in the 
hand of God, and that he can turn them as he will, 
inspire you with a sweet confidence, amidst all the evils 
which befall the Church and the world. 



262 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

Know you not that human wickedness is bounded by 
his decree ; that none of his purposes can fail of their 
accoraphshment ; and that, ultimately, in accordance 
with his promise, he will cause his name to be known 
and honoured from the rising to the setting of the sun ? 

May God enlighten us into all necessary truth ; and 
prepare us for that world, where we shall behold it in its 
unveiled brightness and glory, forever. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXVI. 

TO A CHRISTIAN IN A BACKSLIDING STATE. 

My dear Friend, 

Is it true then, that you enjoy less than at 
former times, the power of rehgion, and the gracious 
presence of God? You have, indeed, been restrained 
from those overt acts of sin, by which your profession 
would have been publicly disgraced ; and for this 
you are bound to be thankful; but religious duties, 
you tell me, have lost much of their sweetness ; are 
performed in a far more hurried manner, and with less 
frequency than they were at the beginning of your 
Christian course ; and you can hardly discover any 
present satisfactory evidence of your adoption. Such 
being your state, 1 cannot doubt but the evil dispositions 
which prevailed in you in your unregenerate days, are 
reasserting their authority, and that your bosom is agi- 
tated by the passions belonging to a proud and worldly 
spirit, to an extent, which in the warmth of your first 
love, you would have supposed impossible. You ask, 
and I consider the request as an evidence that your apos- 
tacy is not total, for an unqualified expression of my 
opinion concerning your state, and for such counsels and 
warnings as may, by the blessing of God, recall you to 
duty and peace. 

1 begin, my dear sir, by telUng you plainly that I can 
frame no apology for your spiritual delinquencies. You 
ought to have been advancing in piety until now, and 



264 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

by this time, the light of your example should have dif- 
fused around you, far and wide, the lustre and the in- 
fluence of distinguished holiness. This might reason- 
ably have been anticipated from 3^our profession ; to this, 
you were called by the word of God ; and to secure this, 
you might have found adequate resources in the 
riches of his grace and faithfulness. You have in- 
curred an amount of guilt, which no words can ex- 
press, and which it would not be perhaps extravagant to 
say, surpasses all that would have been possible to ycuj 
had yoif never tasted the joys of his salvation, and ex- 
ulted in the hope of glory. If sin be aggravated in pro- 
portion to the light and mercies which are received ; 
whose offences are marked with such peculiar turpitude, 
as those of the regenerated children of God? 

The first thing implied in genuine repentance is 
voluntary self-condemnation. Take to yourself, then, 
all the blame of your backsliding. It is natural for men 
w^hen they have done wrong, to seek some excuse for 
their conduct, or endeavour to relieve themselves by cast- 
ing the burden of the fault upon others, or upon circum- 
stances beyond their control. This method of procedure 
was immediately adopted by each of our first parents, 
when they were called to an account for their disobe- 
dience. '-'And the man said. The woman whom thou 
gavest to be v^ith me, she gave me of the tree, and I did 
eat." — " And the woman said. The serpent beguiled me, 
and [ did eat." There spake fallen human nature in 
all its generations. The backslider shrinks from, a full 
confession. His minister, his brethren in the Church, or 
providential arrangements, have been impediments to 
his faithfulness. He would surely have done well, had 
he enjoyed more favourable means. The fire of love 
has gone out, because others poured on water, instead of 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



265 



contributiDg by their spirituality and zeal to fan the 
generous flame. Thus he is uneasy ; and his uneasi- 
ness generates acrimony and censoriowsness. Let it not 
be so with you. Wtiether others have performed or 
neglected their duty, they have not led you astray with- 
out your own consent ; and very possibly, they whom 
you are disposed to reproach, as chiefly accessory to your 
declension in piety, have silently observed the symptoms 
of your growing indifference in rehgion, with deep sor- 
row and regret. 

What were the first steps in your departure from God ? 
This inquiry is important, as a correct answer will aid 
you in your return to the path of duty. Was your first 
fault excess in worldly engagements ? Was it confor- 
mity to worldly maxims ? Was it too unguarded inti- 
macy with those who fear not the Lord ? Was it the 
indulgence of any unholy passions, as ambition, anger, 
envy, jealousy, or revenge ? Was it any un kindness 
towards your brethren, or any neglect of faithful warn- 
ing to those whom you are bound, in the spirit of meek- 
ness, to reprove ? Was it remissness in prayer, in self- 
examination, or in reading the Scriptures ? Whatever 
it was, search it out ; and never rest satisfied, till, hke 
Joshua, you place your feet on the neck of the van- 
quished enemy. 

It was by a gradual decay of your graces, that you 
fell into your present state of stupidity and unfaithful- 
ness. Your reviving, however, your return to God, 
whom you have provoked and dishonoured, sliould be 
instantaneous. What right have you to delay? Be 
not content with some cold resolutions, some formal pre- 
parration to repent, and regain his favour ; begin repent- 
ance now ; and reahze that a refusal to do this is infi- 
nitely criminal. 

23 



266 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



Use the means of grace with the utmost earnestness. 
Spend much time, though you may be obUged to abridge 
your hours of sleep, for this purpose, in the appropriate 
services of the closet. BacksHding is always connected 
with inconstancy, dulness, and formality there; and 
there, of course, must commence the workings of that 
godly sorrow which issues in established reformation. 
Be particular and full in confession ; acknowledge with 
deep sensibiUty, that it is of the Lord's mercies that you 
are not consumed ; and continue to wrestle till you ob- 
tain an answer of peace, in humble, fervent prayer. 
Pore over the inspired pages with many tears ; meditate 
earnestly on the precious truths which the Book of God 
reveals ; and bring your moral feelings and your life to 
the searching light^ which it sheds through all the intri- 
cacies and windings of that labyrinth of corruption — 
the human soul. Private religious fasting is recom- 
mended in the Bible ; and it is peculiarly suitable to one, 
who has wandered away from the Lord, and longs to en- 
joy once more the tokens of his heavenly Father's love. 
" Can the children of the bridechamber fast, as long as 
the bridegroom is w^th them ? but the days will come, 
when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then 
shall they fast." Accompany these private duties with 
correspondent social, and public acts ; and let the re- 
membrance of your unfaithfulness, serve as a perpetual 
warning against a similar dereUction of the^ right course, 
in time to come. 

Set before your mind the most impressive motives to 
repentance. 

Think of the glorious character and righteous claims 
of the God of creation, providence, and redemption, 
your almighty Father and Friend. You know that 
He is infinitely excellent, and that as such, He is entitled 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 267 

to your uninterrupted love and perfect obedience. His 
presence is the life of heaven, the support and joy of the 
universe. His goodness is no less unrivalled than his 
greatness. '' God is light." — '' God is love." His com- 
mands are like himself, holy, just, and good. Does not 
your heart break at the thought of the treatment He has 
received from you ? from you^ his creature 7 from you^ 
a ransomed sinner, to whom He has promised pardon? 
persevering gracCj'the supply of all your real wants, and 
everlasting happiness ? 

Call to mind the joys of that memorable hour, 

"When God revealed his gracious name, 
And changed your mournful state." 

How precious was your communion with God ; how 
sweet were your comforts in studying and hearing his 
word; in holy contemplations ; in fellowship with kin- 
dred minds ; in your ardent endeavours to promote that 
beloved cause for which a Saviour died ! How fast fell 
your tears of tender gratitude and penitence, at the foot 
of the cross ! How did the love of Jesus fill your soul ! 
You cannot have forgotten your vows, your promises, 
your songs of gladness and triumph. Why now such 
sluggishness in your services ? Has the religion of the 
Gospel lost any of its excellence, its glory ? Was there 
ever more blessedness attainable by you, than you may 
now enjoy, in the exercise of love to God, of confidence 
in his government, of delight in his service, of meekness, 
of humihty, of disinterested benevolence towards his 
creatures? Is Jehovah possessed of any less worthiness 
now, than He was on the happy day of your conver- 
sion ? Is not Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, 
and forever ? Was the Most High ever more ready 
than He is at this moment, to give the sanctifying and 



268 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

comforting influences of the Spirit to them that ask 
Him ? Come, my dear friend, adopt from the heart the 
language of the p^ahnist. " I love the Lord because He 
hath heard my voice and my suppUcation. Because He 
hath inchned his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon 
Him as long as I live. Return unto thy rest, O my 
soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes 
from tears, and my feet from falling." Can you now 
make these words your own ? Is the grace of your 
heavenly Father in awakening your conscience, no- 
thing 7 Is the interposition of his outstretched arm, to 
rescue you from the brink of the burning pit, nothing 7 
Is the full pardon of your sins, is a title to heaven, for 
you, a rebel, who deserve only perdition, nothing 7 
Is the impartation of his Holy Spirit, filling you with 
love, peace, joy, and all the fruits of righteousness, 
nothing 7 Why do I ask these questions ? You know 
something of the vast, the immeasurable debt you owe 
Him ; you feel yourself constrained to inquire, " What 
shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards 
me ? " and to admit that eternity will be none too long to 
utter all his praise. 

Think of his immutable faithfulness. Amidst all 
your wanderings He loves you still. " Thus saith the 
Lord ; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the 
love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in 
the wilderness. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and 
the first fruits of his increase." — " He cannot deny him- 
self." Will you not be attracted, humbled, melted, by 
the everlasting kindness of your God ? His arms, his 
heart are open to receive you ; like the father in the 
parable. He would see you returning, when a great way 



PRACTICAL RELIGION 



269 



off; He would run and fail upon your neck, and press 
you to his affectionate bosom. 

Think of the inimitable tenderness of his invitations. 
" Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I 
will not cause mine anger to fall upon you ; for I am 
merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for- 
ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast 
transgressed against the Lord thy 'God." — " Turn, O 
backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married 
unto you." — "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? 
How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make 
thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee as Zeboim ? 
Mine heart is turned within me ; my repentings are 
kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of 
my anger." 

" Surprising grace ! and shall my heart 

Unmored and cold remain ? 

Has this hard rock no tender part? 

Must mercy plead in vain ? 

Ye dang'rous inmates, hence depart; * 

Dear Saviour, enter in. 

And guard the passage to my heart, 

And keep out every sin." ' 

Think of the injury you do to others by living as you 
now are, at a distance from God. The Church has a 
right to expect your warmest devotion to her interests. 
She has received you as one of her children ; she has 
conferred upon you the most invaluable privileges ; and 
you have bound yourself by solemn covenant, to toil 
and pray till you die, for her purity, peace, and prosperity. 
While you are cold and formal in your prayers, and the 
world can see httle difference between you and the more 
respectable portion of impenitent men ; what are you 
doing to fulfil in any measure, the vows which you have 

23* 



270 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

made to God and his people ? The prayers to which 
the promise is annexed, issue from a humble heart, filled 
with the graces of the Spirit. You know the Saviour's 
condemnation of lukewarmness, in his address to the 
Laodicean Church ; and the illustrations which He gave 
of the nature of prevailing prayer, in the parable of the 
importunate widow, and of the individual, who came to 
the house of his friend at midnight, that he might pro- 
cure bread for a hungry traveller. In accordance with 
these passages, effectual prayer is represented by images 
which denote great strength of feehng, great diligence, 
and the most strenuous exertion. It is asking, seeking, 
knocking, striving, wrestling. Can you say that, in 
your devotions at the present time, there is any thing 
which answers to such language ? Has not the Church 
reason to complain, that you, her professed friend, plead 
for her welfare as if you expected and desired a denial ? 
You will admit that when you look at the desolations of 
Zion, you should be able to sympathize fully, with the 
pious and weeping captive in Babylon, " If I forget thee, 

Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If 

1 do not remember thee, let rny tongue cleave to the roof 
of my mouth ; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief 
joy." How feeble the response which these words now 
meet in the feelings of your heart ! 

Need I say, that you are ill prepared to labour with 
success, for the conversion of the impenitent? You 
know your want of preparation for this important work. 
How do you overlook the duty you owe them ! With 
what indifference can you contemplate their enmity to 
God, their guilt, their constant liability to eternal wo ! 
Where are the tears which you once shed over them, the 
vmutterable desires you felt, wherever you w^ere, by day, 
or in the midnight hour, that they might repent, be for- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 271 

given, and saved ? Think you not that, by your present 
neglect of duty, you contribute to their insensibility, and 
virtually encourage them to persist in their rebellion 
against God? While you slumber, multitudes are 
thronging the way to death, multitudes are peopling 
the world of despair, who, had your feelings and life 
been such as become a disciple of the affectionate and 
holy Jesus, might have been induced to pause, to reflect, 
to repent, to secure their salvation. Had you been faith- 
ful, the ardour of your spirit might have been commu- 
nicated to others, and from them to others, till a revival 
of pure religion should have spread far around you, and 
thousands, now in their sins, been enabled through 
grace, to commence their eternal song. 

As you value your own peace of mind, I pray you to 
retrace your steps. Return to God. He cannot, con- 
sistently with his holiness and his truth, manifest his 
special favour to his people, so long as they are forgetful 
of their high calling and destiny. He must frown upon 
them ; and often, he so visits them with his chastise- 
ments, as to compel them to cry out in the extremity of 
their pains, " When we suffer thy terrors, we are dis- 
tracted." Hear the complaint of the psalmist. " There 
is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger ; 
neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin. 
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head ; as a 
heavy burden they are too heavy for me." God has 
declared that He will chastise the saints, who wander 
from the path of his commandments. " If his children 
forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments ; if 
they break my statutes, and keep not my command- 
ments ; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, 
and iheir iniquity with stripes." They who can "sin and 
yet rejoice," make it apparent that they have yet to learn 



272 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

the rudiments of practical Christianity. " Faith work- 
eth by love."— "Wilt thou know, O vain man, that 
faith without works is dead ? " — "The kingdom of 
God," is first " righteousness ;" and then, as inseparably 
connected with this, " peace and joy in the Holy 
Ghost." 

God, in his just displeasure, may leave you, by the 
commission of some scandalous sin, to wound your own 
soul, grieve your brethren, and give signal occasion to 
the triumph of your Redeemer's foes. The examples of 
David and Peter are recorded for the instruction and 
warning of professed believers, to the end of time. Con- 
template the fall of those eminent men, and tremble, and 
cry in agony of soul, " Lord, have mercy, restore, and 
save thy wandering sheep." 

In your present state of mind, you are certainly un- 
prepared to glorify God in affliction. Yet it may be 
necessary that he should take from you, one after ano- 
ther, the earthly props on which you depend, till you 
learn your utter helplessness, and feel yourself constrained 
to rely for happiness, on Him alone. How would the 
sudden summons of death surprise you ! Do you believe 
that in your present frame, you could leave this world 
with the composure and dignity becoming a Christian ? 

Lay to heart, I beseech you, these few plain sugges- 
tions. Sleep no longer. Your excuses are not only 
vain — they are exceedingly sinful and abominable to 
God ; to cherish them a moment, is aggravated rebellion 
against the Majesty of earth and heaven. Renounce 
them now ; and let it be manifest from your Hfe, that 
you are seeking the things which are above, and not the 
things which are on the earth ; that the glory of Christ 
is supremely dear to you ; and that you can willingly 
spend and be spent in spreading through the world, the 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 273 

honours of his adorable name. Come. Holy Spirit, and 
excite within us those intense desires after perfection, 
which can never be satisfied, till we rise from this world 
of vanity and sin, to behold Jesus, our Master, in his 
glory. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXYII. 

THE DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN IN A REVIVAL OP 
RELIGION. 

My dear Friend, 

Man has often been called a religious being. 
The phraseology is correct, if it mean that his intellec- 
tual and moral nature is such as to render religion ne- 
cessary to his happiness, and to constrain him to seek 
protection and enjoyment from powers which he believes 
to be possessed of divine attributes. Conscience, the 
reasoning faculty, the imagination, and the passions, all 
point to some superior Intelligence, whose favour is 
indispensable, while it claims from us an homage cor- 
respondent to its nature and our relations. But for the 
strength of counteracting sinful propensities, these innate 
characteristics of the immortal mind would imiformly 
lead it to the exercise of truly pious affections — to simple 
trust in God, to veneration and delight in his perfections, 
and to all those acts of acknowledgment, prayer, and 
praise, which are included in sincere devotion. Un- 
happily, however, those noble natural attributes, which 
are adapted to raise the soul to God, have been subject 
to an utter perversion ; and that which may be styled the 
religious instinct, too generally gives evidence of its ex- 
istence by fastening its hopes on the various forms of 
superstition, fanaticism, and self-righteousness, rather 
than the almighty, pure, and benevolent Creator of the 
world. Religious affections may be roused by fantastic 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 275 

conceptions, which have no foundation in reason or in 
revelation, as well as by the verities of the Gospel. 
Depraved man, hating the true light, conjures up visions 
from the recesses of his own disordered fancy, or arrays 
in false colours those real objects which are presented to 
his contemplation, and his faith in the Holy Scriptures. 
His sensibihties may be as ardent, when they are ex- 
cited by a fabulous theology, or are conjoined with 
sensualism and malignity, as when they are prompted 
by a discovery of the supreme Beauty, and are the off- 
spring of the Spirit's gracious influences. Nor is it un- 
philosophical to suppose that man's emotions may exhibit 
greater warmth, violence, and hurry, when his darker 
passions are leagued with an erroneous conscience, and 
the effort to procure the favour of Heaven, than when his 
soul breathes the pure atmosphere of love, and catches 
by reflection the moral image of Him, who is the sum 
and pattern of all true greatness and excellency. This 
theory agrees with the phenomena of the human mind, 
as they have been developed in the history of false sys- 
tems of religion, and of the numerous extravagances 
which those systems have produced. 

It is not certain then, that you are favoured with a 
genuine revival of religion, because you witness an un- 
common excitement on the subject ; because religious 
meetings are numerous, and thronged with listening 
crowds ; and a religious sympathy, swift and resistless as 
lightning, pervades all classes. The passions may burst 
forth like the lava of a volcano, and their effects in the 
moral world be scarcely less destructive than is the in- 
fluence of this latter terrible agent of nature on the field 
waving with harvest, and the populous, busy village, 
suddenly overwhelmed in ruin. Paganism has had its 
zealots, whose worship was performed by contortions, 



276 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

self-inflicted tortures, or frantic yells, which indicated the 
dethronement of reason, and the entire dominion of 
infernal powers over the desolated soul. At the foot of 
Sinai, the children of Israel gave to the golden calf, the 
glory which belonged to the true God, and joined to their 
costly offerings, the most vehement expressions of zeal, 
for the worship of their contemptible idol. The servants 
of Baal, in the time of Elijah, manifested an ardour of 
feeling, which could hardly have been exceeded. At a 
time when a stupendous miracle was expected, to attest 
the divinity of the true object of worship, they " called 
on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, 
saying, O Baal, hear us. And they cried aloud," — they 
were not content with cold devotions — " and cut them- 
selves after their manner, with knives and lancets, till the 
blood gushed out upon them." Some of the ancient 
pagan philosophers boasted of supernatural illapses ; 
and professed to have received from the Deity those ex- 
traordinary communications which were imparted to 
none save the initiated few — such as were pre-eminently 
the children of light. We are assured in the Scriptures, 
that Satan is transformed into an angel of light ; and 
that his ministers may assume the appearance of the 
ministers of righteousness. The pharisees were dis- 
tinguished by their zeal for the law; their nuruerous 
rites ; their tithes of anise, mint, and cummin ; and 
their untiring efforts to multiply proselytes. Unbelieving 
Jews and Mohammedans have not unfrequently evinced 
a tenacity for what they considered as the trutn, and a 
strictness of devotion, which are too seldom found among 
the professed friends of the Gospel. Quietists and mys- 
tics of every name, while undervaluing, and perhaps 
denying the authority of the written word, have pre- 
tended to the greatest abstraction from the world, the 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 277 

most exalted spirit of prayer, and the sublime perfection 
of religious enjoyment. <' The ferocious spirits of Mun- 
ster," the French prophets, the Fifth Monarchy men, the 
followers of Ann Leese, and hundreds of other sects, 
afford the most incontrovertible evidence that a high 
degree of boasted illumination, great zeal, and indefati- 
gable endeavours to propagate what is called religion, 
may exist where the first principles of real Christianity 
are unknown or disregarded. 

Your first duty then, is to judge according to scriptural 
rules, whether that which claims to be a revival of reli- 
gion be worthy of the name ; since it is scarcely less 
sinful, hghtly to ascribe to the Holy Spirit what is the 
work of man, or of Satan, than to attribute to human 
or infernal agents, the effects produced by the Holy 
Spirit. We are required in the Bible, that infallible rule 
of our faith and practice, to distinguish between true 
religion and false ; and we are as much bound to reject 
the latter, as to acknowledge and receive the former. 
" Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's 
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye 
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes 
of thorns, or figs of thistles?" — "Take heed that no 
man deceive you : for many shall come in my name, 
saying, I am Christ ; and shall deceive many." — " For 
there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and 
shall show great signs and wonders ; insomuch that, if 
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." — 
" Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits 
whether they are of God ; because many false prophets 
are gone out into the world." After such solemn warn- 
ings as these, is it not strange that any should account 
it a good reason for calling in question one's love to 
genuine revivals, if he presume so much as to inquire 

24 



278 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

into the characteristics of what is affirmed to be a work 
of grace, and to judge of it by its fruits ? Men may 
avoid some present trouble, by taking it for granted, that 
every religious excitement is produced by the Spirit of 
God, and that all are true converts who bear the name ; 
but what will be the consequence of such indiscriminating 
charity ? Will not the door be opened to every kind of 
delusion ? Designing men will be encouraged to impose 
on the credulity of the Church ; multitudes will embrace 
the hope of the hypocrite, and, under the pretence of 
superior sanctity, array themselves against the pure 
Gospel ; disorders and contentions v/ill continue to in- 
crease, and rend the body of Christ, till ultimately, all 
appearances of uncommon zeal in religion, will be 
viewed with jealousy, and religion itself fall into con- 
tempt. These remarks have been verified by the ex- 
perience of ages. What but fanatical extravagances 
and an undistinguishing approval of every species of 
religious feeling, introduced the declension of piety in 
the early days of the Gospel ; in Germany, soon after 
the reformation ; in Great Britain, during the time of the 
commonwealth ; and in this country, subsequently to the 
glorious revivals v/hich took place under the ministry of 
Edwards, Whitefield, the Tennents, and their fellow- 
labourers in the work of the Lord ? If neither the word 
of God, nor the admonitory voice issuing from the 
tombs of past generations, be sufficient to guard us from 
confounding together the precious and the vile in reli- 
gion, let us not be disappointed if we be compelled at 
last to see the difference between them, in the most dis- 
graceful acts of professed Christians, the overthrow of 
the most sacred institutions, and the wide-spread triumphs 
of infidelity. Human nature is always the same, and 
we are not, therefore, to expect that, under the same 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 279 

circumstances, the traits it exhibits at one time, will be 
essentially different from those which it has displayed at 
other times. 

While the doctrines of the Church remain pure, it 
will be the effort of the prince of darkness to mingle the 
evil with the good ; and he will always seek to render 
the counterfeit as exact an imitation as possible of the 
genuine coin, without imparting to it the smallest portion 
of what is truly valuable. He will admit the reality and 
importance of religion, while he distorts it out of all pro- 
portions, and seeks to push it into notice — a monster, 
towering above, and trampling down, the symmetrical, 
unobtrusive form of pure Christianity. "A pharisee's 
trumpet," says an old divine, "shall be heard to the 
town's end." 

A real work of the Spirit in a general revival, as well 
as in individual cases of professed conversion, may be 
known by its fruits. Much seriousness, and many ex- 
traordinary effects may take place, without any special 
divine agency. Some effects are ambiguous, others are 
decisive indications of the Spirit's gracious presence ; and 
on the latter, we should chiefly rely, in judging of the 
character of what is denominated a revival of religion. 

The first evidence I shall notice of the genuineness of 
a revival, is an increased attention, and attachment to 
the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel. Spurious excite- 
ments are commonly connected with hostility, or at least? 
indifference to these doctrines. A single faithful sermon, 
in which God is exalted, and the pride of man laid low, 
may, in some instances, prove sufficient to destroy a 
false revival. It has been said, that one discourse of 
that powerful advocate of vital godliness, the Reverend 
Dr. Bellamy, took away numerous hopes, that had been 
suddenly acquired the same day, under preaching and 



280 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

exhortations which were more exciting than instructive, 
Christ's prayer was, that his people might be sanctified 
through the truth ; and He commanded his ministers 
to preach, not the figments of their own imagination or 
philosophy, but the Gospel, to every creature. What 
the Gospel is, we learn from his own instructions ; and 
more particularly from those apostolical epistles, in which 
the principles of God's government, and the purposes of 
his redeeming grace, are inculcated in aU their divine 
harmony, and in their most momentous practical rela- 
tions. These various revelations constitute that system 
of truth, of which Christ crucified is the foundation, the 
cement, and the top-stone ; and which in all its parts, 
has a direct bearing on the character, the present inter- 
ests, and the endless well-being of man. This we are 
expressly told, was the great instrument of those revivals 
of religion, which occurred under the preaching of the 
apostles. In Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, 
for example, we find him asserting the immutability of 
the divine counsels ; the divine pre-determination of the 
death of Christ ; the sin of the Jews in taking away his 
life ; his messiahship, exaltation, and supreme authority ; 
and earnestly inculcating, in view of all these truths, the 
duty and necessity of immediate repentance. " For 
the preaching of the cross," says Paul, '-is to them that 
perish, foolishness, but unto them which are saved, it is 
the power of God." — " We preach Christ crucified, unto 
the Jews, a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks, fool- 
ishness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and 
Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of 
God." These doctriaes have been the means of all 
pure revivals of religion in later times. From the 
prominence which they held in the preaching and wri- 
ting's of the leading reformers, they are frequently styled 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. '281 

the doctrines of the refonnation ; they were the favourite 
subjects of the old puritan divines, such as Owen, Bates, 
Flavel, and Baxter ; they filled the sermons of the most 
successful preachers, during- that remarkable season of 
refreshing from the presence of the Lord, which was 
witnessed in the early part of the last century ; and they 
were all in all; in the discourses of those holy men, who 
were chiefly instrumental at the commencement of the 
present era of revivals, in resuscitating the piety of the 
New England churches. The general and particular 
purposes of God ; the fall and entire depravity of man ; 
the atonement, and gratuitous justification through 
Christ ; the special influences and sovereignty of the 
Holy Spirit in conversion ; personal election ; and the 
conservation and perseverance of all true saints ; were 
not only believed, but defended and urged as truths of 
the utmost importance, by Backus, HaUock, Mills, 
Hooker, Porter, Gillet, Hyde, and others of a kindred 
spirit, " of whom " — '• some remain " unto this time, 
"but " — " the greater part " — " are fallen asleep." 

These doctrines have ever been found to exert a 
mighty influence on such as have received them with the 
whole heart. Obedience to them is obedience to Christ. 
" But God be thanked," says Paul, " that ye were the 
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart, that 
form of doctrine which was delivered unto you ; " or, 
as Bishop Lowth translates the latter clause of the sen- 
tence, " The doctrine on the 'model of which ye were 
formed^ — " Seeing," says Peter, " ye have purified your 
souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." — " As 
new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, 
that ye may grow thereby.''^ 

A revival then, is to be considered as a divine work, 
if it put honour on the distinguishing doctrines of the 
24* 



282 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

Gospel, and is promoted by them ; and so far as it makes 
light of them, it is to be viewed as the offspring of human 
artifice or passion, or of the father of lies, whose delight 
it is to build up false religions on the ruins of pure Chris- 
tianity. We are bound to judge of revivals by the 
written word ; and not to shape our religious creed in 
conformity to the character of assumed revivals. Other- 
wise, we virtually make man's emotions, or fancies, the 
guide of our faith ; and are thus guilty of casting con- 
tempt on the inspired volume. " But though we, or an 
angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, 
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be 
accursed." 

In a genuine revival, the convictions of awakened 
sinners agree with the doctrines above specified. They 
are not only alarmed, as they may be from various 
causes, but they see themselves to be wholly depraved, 
justly condemned by the law, inexcusable, helpless, ex- 
posed to eternal wrath, and so opposed to the revealed 
method of salvation, that there is no hope for them, but 
in the sovereign, unsolicited exertion of God's almighty 
power. As their anxiety increases, they perceive more 
and more clearly the sinfulness of all their unregenerate 
resolutions, strivings, and prayers ; and realize how un- 
certain it is whether God will ever appear to subdue their 
obstinacy, or whether He will leave them to wilful 
impenitence and final ruin. These convictions, awful 
as they aFe, have no alliance with impressions on the 
imagination or nervous terrors. " And when " the Com- 
forter '' is come, He will reprove " convince " the world 
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." 

In a genuine revival too, the exercises of young con- 
verts are such as are implied in the cordial belief of 
these doctrines. They that are truly regenerated exalt 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 283 

God in their thoughts and affections ; they rejoice that 
He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and that 
all his purposes will be accomplished ; they wilhngly 
justify Him in their condemnation, and take their places 
at his feet ; they abhor thernselves, and come to Christ 
as lost and helpless sinners ; they have a strange delight 
in what they once hated ; they find a new satisfaction 
in the written and preached word, in prayer, in com- 
munion with the saints, and in the discharge of all 
spiritual duties. Self being dethroned in their hearts, 
they have of course a spirit of meekness, forbearance, 
and forgiveness, accompanied with a tender pity for sin- 
ners, zealous endeavours to promote their salvation, dis- 
interested attachment to the kingdom of the Redeemer, 
and generous benevolence towards all mankind. They 
are not apt to ^ think highly of themselves, and of their 
attainments. When they admonish others, it is with 
tenderness. When they labour for Christ, they wonder 
that God should permit creatures so vile to do any thing 
for the advancement of his holy cause. 

In the mean time, older Christians feel with aug- 
mented power, the sanctifying influence of these doctrines. 
The truths of the Gospel assume to their minds a vivid- 
ness and reality, which throw into the shade all temporal 
objects and enjoyments ; the charms of pleasure are 
unheeded, the ghtter of wealth fades away, the gorgeous- 
ness of human glory is as the last glimmer of the stars, 
when the rising day sheds its brighter light over the 
heavens. There is a most affecting sense of the presence 
of God, of his excellency, the righteousness of his law, 
the riches of his grace, the wonders of his redemption, 
the worth of the soul, the guilt and danger of sinners, 
and the boundlessness of eternity ; and this clear appre- 
hension of invisible things humbles, delights, stimulates 



284 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

to prayer, and prompts to fidelity in every duty. A 
genuine revival strengthens ail the inward graces of 
Christians ; confirms all their holy habits ; and adds 
great energy, enlargement, and joyfulness to all their 
evangelical hopes. They find a high degree of pleasure 
in all their religious services. They read the word of 
God, not with reluctance, or stupid unconcern, but with 
ineffable delight. It is sweeter to them than the honey 
and the honeycomb ; it is a mine of wealth which is 
invaluable, which can never be exhausted, and which 
enriches its possessor forevermore. The Bible illuminates 
all, as it is itself illuminated, by direct beams from hea- 
ven, the everlasting dwelling-place of God and the 
Lamb. The preacher's faithful message, instead of 
falling on inattentive ears, penetrates, fills, and vanquishes 
the heart. '' How beautiful upon the mountains are the 
feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
peace ! " are words that spontaneously issue from the 
lips, as the melting eye tells of joys that are " unspeak- 
able and full of glory." The love of Christians to each 
other is now most manifest. Former jealousies being 
dismissed, they regard each other as brethren, children 
of the same Father, blood-bought disciples of the same 
Redeemer, participants of the same gratuitous justifica- 
tion, heirs of the same everlasting home. They long to 
see an impenitent world submitting to the proposals of 
the Saviour's grace, clothed in his righteousness, and 
happy in the assurances of his eternal friendship. In 
one word, believers give now the most attractive exem- 
plification of the power of the Gospel, and the beauty of 
holiness. The presence of the Spirit is evinced by what 
the apostle, in Gal. v. 22, 23, calls " The fruit of the 
Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good- 
ness, faith, meekness, temperance." 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 285 

Such were the consequences of that first great out- 
pouring of the Spirit, after the ascension of Christ, of 
which we have an account in Acts ii. 42 — 47. "And 
they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and 
fellowship," — they loved, and therefore could not under- 
rate, nor deny the peculiar truths of the Gospel, — " and 
in breaking of bread, and in prayers." They had a 
high estimation of divine ordinances, and accounted it 
their greatest privilege to live near the throne of grace. 
This example of singular piety produced in the minds of 
impenitent sinners, an awful conviction of the divine 
authority of the Gospel, and of their own guilty and 
lost condition. " And fear came upon every soul, and 
many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 
And all that believed were together, and had all things 
common ; and sold their possessions and goods, and 
parted them to all men as every man had need." A 
community of goods among Christians, is no where 
required in the Scriptures ; and it would not be, ordina- 
rily, either right or desirable. Yet the same benevolence 
and holy indifference to the world, which led the infant 
church in Jerusalem to adopt this practice for a season, 
cannot fail to characterize every real work of grace ; 
and, wherever the professed promoters of a revival are 
disposed to close their hearts and their hands against all 
the demands of charity, it is too evident that their zeal 
is false, and that they are ignorant of the very nature of 
Christian experience. " And they continuing daily, with 
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house 
to house, did eat their meat with gladness, and single- 
ness of heart." Love to God, holy confidence in the 
Saviour, and Christian fellowship, impart to the soul, a 
peace and " gladness," with which the stranger inter- 
meddleth not. The experience of these believers ac- 



286 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



corded with that of the psalmist more than a thousand 
years before. " There be many that say. Who will 
show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy 
countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my 
heart, more than in the time that their corn and their 
wine increase." This holy joy naturally gives utterance 
to its emotions in praise. Such was its effect in the 
primitive church. "Praising God," says the sacred 
historian, '-and having favour with all the people. And 
the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be 
saved," A more concise and beautiful description than 
this, of the effects of a revival of true religion, is no 
where to be found. 

When a work, in its leading features, however it may 
be marred by human imperfections, (and what does man 
touch which he does not tarnish ?) is such as I have now 
described ; it bears upon it the indubitable evidences of a 
divine authorship ; but where a religious excitement 
differs in its principal aspects from this, it is to be re- 
garded as mainly spurious, with whatever extraordinary 
effects it may be attended, and to whatever extent it may 
engage the countenance and co-operation of the reputed 
friends of the Redeemer. 

Having ascertained that a real revival has commenced, 
you should feel that solemnity, awe, and gratitude, which 
a sense of the peculiar presence of God always gives to 
his children. When the '' still small voice " of the Lord 
was heard by the prophet, he wrapped his face in his 
mantle. 

Acknowledge the divinity of the work. Be not slow 
to bear testimony in its favour, before both saints and 
sinners. Otherwise, you greatly dishonour God ; for by 
your silence, you give men occasion to suspect either that 
you are unaffected by what you witness, or that you do 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 287 

not regard it as the fruit of his sovereign grace. When 
is He entitled, if not at such a season, to your grateful 
acknowledgments and praise? He is achieving that 
which not all the men on earth, not all created beings 
could accomplish. He comes forth in his majesty and 
love, to communicate Ufe and joy to the spiritually dead ; 
He conquers and pardons his enemies ; He trains up 
ransomed sinners for the heavenly world. And why this 
display of his power and mercy ? He sees in the im- 
penitent, nothing but their misery to excite his com- 
miseration, and prompt Him to a single effort for their 
deliverance. He acts wholly for his own name's sake, 
for his self-moved goodness' sake, for the sake of Him 
who descended from heaven to bleed and die. 

Be ready to engage in every suitable labour for the 
promotion of the work. Attend regularly on all the 
public means of grace ; and do what you can to encour- 
age religious meetings during the week, as well as on the 
Sabbath. Be faithful in prayer, both secret and social, 
for the continuance and increase of a gracious divine 
influence, to awaken the conscience, and turn the heart 
of stone to flesh. " Prayer," it has been strikingly said, 
'' moves that arm which moves the world." In answer 
to the prayers of Moses, the children of Israel were 
spared, after God had threatened to destroy them. In 
answer to the prayers of Joshua, the sun and moon 
stood still, while the Lord executed vengeance on the 
enemies of Israel. In answer to the prayers of Samuel, 
the Philistines were discomfited, and the people of God 
reposed in safety under the banners of victory. In 
answer to the prayers of David, the angel who stood 
over Jerusalem for its destruction, was commanded to 
return his sword to its scabbard ; and so the plague was 
stayed. " Elias was a man subject to hke passions as we 



288 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain ; and 
it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and 
six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven 
gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." While 
the Church were employed in praying for Peter, he was 
miraculously released from imprisonment; and soon, 
those who had been pleading for him, welcomed him 
with surprise to the apartment where they were assem- 
bled, and heard his marvellous relation of the means^by 
which his deliverance had been accomplished. Nor was 
the influence of prayer confined to the age of miracles. 
It is as true at one time as at another, that the most 
high God " will regard the prayer of the destitute, and 
not despise their prayer." — " As soon as Zion travailed, 
she brought forth her children." The decline of the 
spirit of prayer, is one of the invariable indications cf 
the withdrawal of those peculiar operations, by which 
Jehovah causes his Church to break forth on the right 
hand and on the left, and the wilderness and solitary 
place to bud and blossom as the rose. 

Be careful that you say nothing, do nothing, to grieve 
the Spirit of God. Avoid as much as possible all worldly 
conversation ; especially, abstain from every appearance 
of inconsideration and levity. A word may confirm 
some hardened sinner in his stupidity, or extinguish 
those emotions which mark the commencement of con- 
viction, and earnest attention to the concerns of the soul. 

Do what in you lies to bring your neighbours, and 
friends, and above all, the members of your own family, 
under the influence of the Gospel, in this time of God's 
merciful visitation. Use all proper means to arrest the 
attention of the careless ; and to impress upon the con- 
sciences of the awakened their exceeding guilt, in refusing 
compliance with the terms of the Gospel. Do not quiet 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 289 

the feelings of the anxious, by intimating that they can 
do any duty while they continue impenitent ; or that if 
they persevere in unregenerate seeking, they will find 
salvation ; or that there is any hope for them in the 
resources of their own strength and righteousness. Say 
little to them : and let that little be adapted to take from 
them all their excuses, all their self-dependance, all their 
self-righteous expectations. They need to be much in 
retirement, communing with their own hearts. The 
present is to them a most critical, awful moment. There 
is reason to believe that it will very soon be decided, 
whether they will receive Christ, or finally reject him — 
whether they will be saved, or lost forever. Is not God 
now pecuUarly near, waiting to be gracious? Who 
knoweth but that He is calling them by his Spirit for the 
last time ? Who knoweth but that their continuance in 
sin another day, or hour, may be followed by their 
judicial infatuation and eternal ruin ? Should you not 
steadily contemplate their guilt, their peril, till your heart 
overflow with pity ? Have you not the greatest encour- 
agement to pray, and labour for their salvation ? Hear 
the language of divine mercy. " The Spirit and the 
bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. 
And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let 
him take the water of life freely." 

In conclusion, let me urge you to take part with your 
minister in his trials ; help to bear his burdens ; and bid 
God-speed to all your brethren, who zealously, wisely, 
and humbly engage in carrying forward the work of the 
Lord. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



25 



LETTER XXVIII. 

TO A CHRISTIAN ON HIS RECOVERY FROM 
SICKNESS. 

My dear Friend^ 

I take the first opportunity, after hearing of 
your restoration to health, to suggest to you a few appro- 
priate hints on the occasion ; and I am well convinced, 
that you will receive them with the same spirit of 
kindness, in which they are given. You have been 
raised from the brink of the grave ; and, with the 
many serious reflections which have occurred to you, 
you have, 1 am sure, been chiefly solicitous to derive from 
the recent dispensation of Providence, the moral advan- 
tages which it is calculated to convey. The reminis- 
cences of sickness are always interesting ; and it must 
be our own fault, if they are not also profitable. Disease 
withdraws us from all earth's gayeties and bustle ; and 
curtains us round with all the solemn images of death, 
the grave, eternity, and a future retribution. 

I hope you will duly lay to heart the lessons which 
God is teaching you by your late sickness. 

You have realized, I trust, more deeply than before, 
that the period of health is the time for planning and 
executing important enterprises ; and especially for ma- 
king good a title to heavenly happiness. The lassitude, 
the restlessness, the pains, the enfeebled iHtellect, and the 
stupified sensibiUties of the bed of fever and decay, are 
poor preparatives for any fixed attention, or high achieve- 
ments, worthy of the undying soul. The sick man might 
almost as easily arise, and perform the various toils of 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 291 

severe manual labour, as collect, to any good purpose, 
his scattered thoughts, and concentrate his moral powers 
to the momentous business of working out his salvation. 
The pressure of spiritual anxiety is removed by a sense 
of physical sufferings ; or if it continue, it is often at the 
expense of the little remaining energy which is neces- 
sary to sustain the debilitated frame in its conflicts with 
disease. The religious hopes and joys produced at such 
a time are peculiarly deceptions ; reason is seldom capa- 
ble of calm deUberation ; the fancy becomes wild, and 
breaks loose from all the restraints of judgment ; and the 
delicate nerves are so deranged, as to expose the patient 
to every species of extravagant excitement, and fantastic 
elation. Hence we need not wonder at the melancholy 
frequency with which an apparent sick bed repentance is 
followed, on the recovery of the individual who professes 
it, by a return to worldliness, and manifest apostacy. I 
have long since learned to place very little dependance 
on the permanency of religious impressions, which were 
first acquired in sickness. In nearly all instances where 
I have had opportunity to observe the result in subse- 
quent life, they have proved like the morning cloud and 
the early dew which quickly pass away. 

God has been forcibly reminding you of your frailty. 
What a brittle flower — what a breath of air — what a 
bubble — what a shadow — wh-^t a dream— is human 
life ! Recollect your prostrated strength — your faint- 
ness — your multiplied pains — your loas of all relish for 
your wonted enjoyments — your strange fancies — and the 
thick clouds which passed in unbroken succession over 
that world of wondrous agencies — your understanding. 
Your whole corporeal structure, with its thousand springs 
and combinations, seemed Uke a noble ship tossed 
and wrecked by the tempest — its shrouds rent, its masts 



292 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

torn away, its timbsrs shivered and loosened — and trem- 
bling every moment, as if the next dashing of the waves 
would break it to atoms. You had all the helplessness 
of infancy, without its fair promise, its beaming eye, its 
smile of intelligence, and its joyousness of spirits. You 
were hanging over the silent receptacle of generations as 
by a brittle thread, which it needed but a breeze to sever 
in twain. 

God has likewise been teaching you your dependance 
on him for life, health, and all your blessings. This 
most obvious truth is too readily forgotten in the hour of 
prosperity. When the sky is bright, we think little of 
the orb which enlightens it. The heavens are overcast ; 
nature puts on her gloomy attire — and then it is that we 
sigh for the return of the sun. In the feebleness of your 
frame, did you not see that you were nothing without 
God ? If he withhold his supporting hand, you perish 
like the moth.. 

Recollect your renewed obligations of gratitude to Him, 
the Author of your being, and of all your mercies. Did 
you never think what a kindness it is, that he provides 
medicine for sickness, as well as food for health ? The 
ample storehouse of nature is made by his goodness, to 
minister to all the real wants of his creatures, so long as 
they continue to be inhabitants of this world ; — the herb 
and the root, which, if taken for nourishment, would de- 
stroy life, lengthen it, and add to its comfort, when they 
are given as remedies. While one preparation hastened 
the crisis of your disease ; another soothed your nervous 
irritability, and gave you that gentle sleep, which, at the 
same time that it relieved your present sufferings, helped 
to rally your powers for a more vigorous onset on the 
stanch foe, that was undermining your constitution, aiici 
drinking up your spirits. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 293 

IIow numerous were the comforts which God gave you 
in that time of your extremity ! Besides the common 
blessings of light and air, you had a commodious apart- 
ment, fitted up with cleanliness and good taste ; the best 
attendants, who anticipated your wants ; kind and sym- 
pathizing friends, whose noiseless tread and gentle tones, 
proved that they were never unmindful of your comfort ; 
the most judicious medical advice ; and the use of the 
most approved means for effecting a cure. With what 
affectionate earnestness, did your family and neighbours 
inquire each morning concerning yoU; and with what 
pleasure did they hear of any symptoms favourable to 
the hope of your recovery ! You were, moreover, re- 
membered from Sabbath to Sabbath, in the prayers of the 
sanctuary ; and daily, 1 might say, constantly in the 
fervent supplications of your pious wife, and your family 
friends. In your lucid moments too, you enjoyed for the 
most part the light of God's countenance; and there 
were times, when your meditation of him was so sweet, 
that you longed for the wings of a dove, that you might 
fly away, and be at rest in his bosom. Compare your 
privileges in the respects I have now noticed, with the 
destitution and wo of many of your fellow-creatures. 

Look at that poor dying woman, in her miserable cot- 
tage, where all the winds and storms of heaven find en- 
trance ; she is neglected by her own children ; her drun- 
ken husband, who once swore, to love and cherish her 
till death, now tells her that her sickness is unnecessary, 
that her debility is mere pretence, commands her to rise, 
and, but for the interference of neighbours, would actu- 
ally drag her from her wretched couch, to expire upon the 
hard floor, or in the streets. She has not a relative in 
the world, who cares for her ; she has no little cordials 
by her bed-side, except such as have been supplied by 
25* 



294 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

some Christian in the neighbourhood, who has learned, 
from the divine example, to do good to the evil and un- 
thankful. Of the consolations and hopes of religion, she 
knows nothing. She is about to leave her guilty associ- 
ates below, for companions still more guilty and misera- 
ble in the dark world of perdition. Why were you not 
left to a lot equally hopeless ? 

See the uneducated heathen, lying in his filthy hut, 
sinking in death, without any present peace, or one glim- 
mer of light from the country beyond that flood, on 
which he is so soon to embark, with his eternal all. Sci- 
ence lends him none of her aid — refinement none of her 
thousand dehcate attentions. Instead of the invigora- 
ting medicine, he is constrained to drink the loathed nos- 
trum of necromancy ; instead of the silvery voice of 
anxious friendship, he hears with horror the wild dirge, 
the deafening clangour, and the maddening yells, by 
which superstition dreams that the spirits of evil are to 
be driven away from the habitation of the dying. Why 
was it that you were not thus abandoned by your friends 
and by Heaven ? 

Ascribe your recovery to the true cause. Whatever 
means were used, yet the great Physician, without whose 
blessing all human skill had been in vain, was God — 
the same who rescued a praying Hezekiah as from the 
very jaws of death — the same, who, when he was incar- 
nate here, healed diseases of every kind, and cast out 
devils, by his almighty word. 

You have learned that peculiar joy, which a recovered 
sick man knows, when leaving the room of his long con- 
finement, he first rides abroad, and gazes, as with the 
consciousness of new existence, on the blue firmament 
above, and the diversified beauties and glories of the 
world around him. 1 he exemption from pain, the flush 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 295 

of returning health and vigour, the verdure of spring, 
the carol of the bird, the fertihty of summer, the brown 
honours of autumn, or even the snows and leafless solita- 
riness of winter, send through the heart a warm thrill of 
delight, compensating in a moment for weeks and months 
of weariness and disease. How charming to meet again 
the familiar countenances and cheerful greetings of old 
friends ; to feel once more the pressure of beloved hands ; 
to mingle once more in all the innocent pursuits and en- 
joyments of this world ! To go again to the house of 
God ; to the prayer meeting ; to the conference room — 
to assist again in the labours of the Sabbath school — to 
join again with Tract distributors in their efforts, and in 
their supplications to the I^ord of the spiritual harvest — 
to weep again over the pages of the blessed Bible, which 
you have many a time before wet with your penitential 
tears : — Oh ! all this is sweet ! it is Uke the freshness of 
your first love — it is truly an antepast of heaven ! How 
can you be otherwise than grateful ? 

If the inquiry be, why you were spared ? we can say 
in general, that so it seemed good to your heavenly 
Father. You had not become fully prepared for glory. 
A longer period of discipline was necessary. You had 
labours yet to perform, in behalf of your friends — your 
country — the church — the world. Take heed, that you 
forget not the purposes, so far as you are able to learn 
them, for which God, your sovereign Proprietor, has been 
pleased to lengthen your life. 

Devote yourself anew to the service of your almighty 
Deliverer. After Peter's wife's mother had been healed, 
she arose and ministered to Jesus Christ and his disci- 
ples. Acknowledge the Lord's mercy towards you ; and 
in the assembly of his saints, humbly, joyfully, renew 
your vows to be his. Let eminent devotion, self-denial. 



296 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

and untiring endeavours to do good, mark your whole 
future course, till released from all the labours and burdens 
of mortality, you enter on your everlasting reward. 

Dwell often on the nearness, certainty, and endless 
consequences of death. Say, as you travel in the high- 
way ^ — as you walk the fields — as you sit solitarily in your 
chamber — " My last sickness, my last day, my last hour 
and moment will soon come. Soon shall I feel the 
chills, the perturbations of my final agony. Soon shall 
I bid adieu to all I love below ; to the beauties of nature ; 
to my Christian friends ; to my family ; to the dear 
Bible, which has so often roused and cheered me in my 
mortal journey. This flesh will be laid in the grave, to 
become the repast of the worm, and return to its original 
dust. This spirit, with all its active powers continued 
and enlarged, will have commenced a state of being, ad- 
mitting no change in its character or prospects, forever 
and ever." Let thoughts like these return, with each 
morning's light and each evening's shade, till your days 
and nights below shall have been succeeded by an eter- 
nal noon. Bishop Home mentions a man who was 
accustomed every night to lie down to sleep as if he were 
to die, (so near did he bring the hour of his dissolution,) 
and when he actually came to die, it was as if he were 
going to sleep. 

Be always ready for death. Let your worldly affairs 
be so adjusted — let such be your arrangements with 
respect to your family — let such be the nature of your 
employments — such the vigour of your graces — that you 
would have nothijig to regret, should the summons ar- 
rive at any time for your dismissal from the body, and 
introduction to a higher state of being. 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXIX. 

TO A CHRISTIAN IN AFFLICTION. 

My dear Friend^ 

The trying hour has at last come. God has 
put into your hand the cup of bitterness ; and I do not 
wonder that your heart is sorrowful. Grace does not ex- 
tinguish natural affection, nor does Christianity condemn 
the mourner's tears, when joined, as they may be, with 
humihty, patience, and holy submission to the will of 
God, Stoicism is the progeny of pagan ignorance and 
pride. It could produce stubbornness, but not true resig- 
nation. The religion of the Bible is the very soul of 
subdued, v/ise, manly tenderness. " Jesus wept." He 
was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin, 
" Weep with them that weep, and rejoice with them 
that rejoice," is the command of infinite love. " Despise 
not thou the chastening of the Lord," says the God of 
righteousness and mercy. That child surely " despises^' 
the rod, who cares not for its inflictions. The father 
means that his son shall feel, and manifest emotion, and 
confess, and repent : why else does he chastise ? A 
brutal apathy under divine corrections, seems to me, not 
philosophical ; not the proof of a noble fortitude ; but 
absolutely monstrous. What ! I ask myself — is the man 
without a heart? or, does he think, that by sheer 
obstinacy, he can withstand the strokes of Almighty 
vengeance ? 

Another requisition, equally important, is, " Nor faint 
when thou art rebuked of him." It is against inward 



298 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

murmurs, and an unsubdued tefnper, that you ought 
chiefly to guard. Remember the example of your Mas- 
ter. None ever suffered hke him ; and yet he said, 
" Father, not my will, but thine be done." 

You know that affliction comes not from tlie ground. 
It is God who sends calamity ; and the reasons of his 
conduct are always, like himself — glorious. 

He means, in all his dealings, to make known his per- 
fections. [He would exhibit his sovereignty. •' Have I 
not a right to do what I will with mine own 'I "— " He 
giveth none account of any of his matters." — ".His way 
is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his 
footsteps are not known." He would display his justice. 
It is necessary that his children, though pardoned, should 
suffer here, to teach them how he feels towards sin, and 
to assure an ungodly world of the sincerity of his threat- 
enings. " O," cries the voice of his judgments, " do not 
that abominable thing which I hate." He would mani- 
fest his forbearance. His strokes are fewer than our 
crimes. What plagues have we not deserved? ''He 
will not always chide ; neither will he keep his anger 
forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor 
rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the hea- 
ven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy to- 
wards them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, 
he remembereth that we are dust." He would glorify 
his faithfulness. "For whom the Lord loveth, he 
chasteneth ; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as 
with sons ; for what son is he whom the Father 
chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement 
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not 
sons." 

It is his purpose, also, to promote, in the highest de- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 299 

gree, the good of his great moral kingdom. Your afflic- 
tions, my friend, are included in that benevolent plan, by 
which he will ultimately secure an amount of holiness 
and happiness, answerable to the utmost wishes of his 
heart. When you shall witness the grand result of his 
dispensations, after all the shadows and darkness of this 
life have passed away, you will praise him — as an event 
connected with interests, vast as his own glory, and the 
eternal well-being of the universe — for that very trial, 
which now gives you so much pain ; and you will won- 
der that you could ever have distrusted love so disinter- 
ested, wisdom so unerring, and power so supreme. 
" He hath done all things well, infinitely well," will 
burst forth, Hke the voice of many waters, and the 
voice of mighty thunderings, from the tongues of ten 
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou- 
sands, in sight of the burning earth, and the dissolving 
heavens. 

Afflictions will promote, in connexion with higher ob- 
jects, the spiritual and eternal welfare of all God's 
people. He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the 
children of men. The memorable words of the apostle, 
in Rom. viii. 28, should be engraven upon the heart of 
every behever, as v/ith a pen of steel, and the point of a 
diamond. '' For we know that all things work together 
for good, to them that love God ; to them who are the 
called according to his purpose." 

By means of affliction, Christians grow in grace, and 
in the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
" He for our profit, that we may be partakers of his 
holiness. Now, no chastening for the present seemeth 
to be joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless, afterward, it 
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them 
which are exercised thereby." Listen to the sweet sing- 



300 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

er of Israel : '' Blessed is the man whom thou chasten- 
est, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law." — "It 
is good for me that 1 have been afflicted ; that I might 
learn thy statutes." Listen to the evangelical Isaiah. 
" By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged ; 
and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." What 
spiritual grace is there, which affliction does not call into 
exercise and strengthen ? Is it patience ? " Tribulation 
worketli patience." Is it affectionate confidence in 
God ? " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." — 
" Wherein, ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, 
if need be, ye are yet in heaviness through manifold 
temptations ; that the trial of your faith, being much 
more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it 
be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and 
honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." — 
Is it holy indifference to the world, connected with joyful 
hope, and ardent aspirations after heavenly feUcity? 
" For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which 
are seen, but at the things which are not seen ; for the 
things which are seen are temporal ; but the things 
which are not seen are eternal." 

I quote the words of inspiration, because none others 
are so beautiful ; none others come clothed with such 
authority ; none others are so refreshing to a Christian's 
heart. Contemplate these and other similar precious 
texts, till their spirit penetrate your very soul, and all 
your affections are subdued to grateful and humble joy. 

Could you see all the reasons of the Divine conduct 
towards you, you would admire what you now cannot 
comprehend. No benevolent heart could wish any event 
to be different from that which has been chosen, or- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 301 

dained, by an infinitely wise and good God. Were an 
enlightened and pious man permitted to choose for him- 
self, would he not, think you, tremble at the high betrust- 
ment ; and refer back, if he might, the choice, to that 
great Being, who is infallible in judgment, and infinite 
in goodness? Should you dare, if you could, to erase 
from your history those painful incidents, which you 
now bedew with your tears? I know your answer. 
Demean yourself, then, as if you could trust the hving 
God, though he clothe his face in frowns. 

The providence of God calls you to recollect and 
mourn over your sins. But for sin, you had never suf- 
fered. You know that you have deserved infinitely 
greater evils, than any which have yet overtaken you. 
Had you been treated according to strict justice, where 
had you now been ? You have the answer in the groans 
of the millions who have been banished from God, and 
are suffering his vengeance in those gloomy abodes where 
hope never comes. Does it not then become you to con- 
fess and forsake all your sins ; and to seek that entire 
internal purification, without which you cannot be pre- 
pared for the full vision of God, and perfect happiness in 
his kingdom ? 

Compare your sufferings with those which await the 
finally impenitent. " The time is come, that judgment 
must begin at the house of God ; and if it first begin at 
us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gos- 
pel of God I And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where 
shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ? " — " Oh ! " 
said a dying saint, whose bodily pains were peculiarly 
severe, " if this is the way to heaven, what must be the 
road to hell? " You enjoy support under your trials, the 
gracious presence of your God and Father — what must 
be the misery of those, who will be obliged to bear, de- 

26 



302 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

fenceless and alone, all the storms of Heaven's wrath for- 
evermore. 

Your circumstances demand importunity in prayer ; 
and you have, moreover, the specific direction of Scrip- 
ture on the subject. ^' Is any among you afflicted ? let 
him pray." God is not regardless of the cries of his 
mourning people. He heard Joseph in the dungeon. 
He heard the groaning of the Israelites in their iron bond- 
age in Egypt. He heard the three children in the fiery 
furnace, and Daniel in the lions' den. God is the same 
throughout all generations. 

How precious is prayer to the afflicted saint, when he 
finds filial nearness to his God ! The world, it may be, 
is covered with a pall. He is pleased no more with sights 
of earthly beauty ; regaled no more with the melodious 
sounds of earth. Nature may be to him a blank. In 
God, however, he has enough. In God, he sees the per- 
fection of beauty ; in the approving voice of God, he 
hears that music, which fills all heaven with rapture and 
praise. 

Afflictions often serve to promote the believer's useful- 
ness. His example of cheerful resignation recommends 
that Gospel, on which he has built all his hopes. The 
faith of other Christians is confirmed, by the manifest 
divine support which he enjoys. He learns to bear the 
burdens of others, and to comfort those who are in trouble. 
What can they know of the sorrow occasioned by severe 
affliction, who have always been prosperous? If they 
attempt to administer consolation to others, their words 
too commonly fall powerless, or aggravate the wound 
they were designed to reHeve. Though Jesus were a 
Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suf- 
fered. '' Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be 
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 303 

and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining to God, to 
make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in 
that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able 
to succour them that are tempted." The world see in the 
submissive Christian a living, unansv^^erable testimony to 
the power of religion. The careless are made thought- 
ful ; the undevout begin to pray. The infidel who could 
resist the strongest speculative arguments, has been 
known to admit the incontrovertible force of this prac- 
tical demonstration. " Oh," said a skeptical physician, 
when returning from a death bed, where faith and holy 
triumph proclaimed a present God, — "this is a scene 
which beats philosophy hollow." 

Affliction is included in Jehovah's chosen system of 
means, for preparing his servants to accomplish the great- 
est good in building up his kingdom. It prompts to cheer- 
ful toils and sacrifices. It gives energy and constancy to 
the character. Can you point me to a single truly great, 
or eminently good man, who has always been nursed in 
the lap of indulgence ? The moral dignity of the pa- 
triarchs and prophets, was owing, in no small part, to 
their peculiar trials. The apostles, and other early wit- 
nesses for the truth, preached and lived the better, for 
their poverty, cruel mockings, scourgings, bonds and im- 
prisonments. To the most privileged soldier, the general 
assigns the post of the greatest difficulty, suffering,and 
danger. Snug quarters and exemption from peril, how- 
ever pleasant in themselves, tend to generate an effemi- 
nacy and cowardice ill befitting the fatigues of the march, 
and the resoluteness and tug of battle. 

As affliction contributes to wean the Christian from 
the world, so it makes the grave the more welcome. 
"There the weary are at rest." Heaven appears the 
brighter, because this earth is clouded with the gloom of 



304 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

sorrow. The promise — •' God shall wipe away all tears 
from their eyes," — is the sweeter, because here we are so 
often called to mingle our enjoyments with weeping. 
How delightful must it be to exchange privation for ful- 
ness ; disgrace for the public smiles of God ; the pain 
of closing the eyes of our friends in death, for a reunion 
with them before the throne ; sickness and the decrepi- 
tude of age, for the agility and cheerfulness of eternal 
health and youth ! Who can adequately conceive the 

joy of Lazarus, as, bidding an everlasting adieu to his 
rags, his hunger, his loathsome diseases, and the scorn 
of an ungodly world, he finds himself in the embraces of 
angels, and is carried with exultation as a rich trophy of 

grace, to Abraham's bosom ? 

Be not disquieted then, I pray you, by any of the evils 

which may befall you. " My grace," says Jesus Christ, 
'' is sufficient for thee : for my strength is made perfect in 

weakness." — " There hath no temptation taken you, but 

such as is common to man ; but God is faithful, who will 

not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but 

will with the temptation also make a w^ay to escape, that 

ye may be able to bear it." 

With these precious promises, 1 close this letter. May 

the Lord by his good Spirit apply them to your heart ; 

and give you that peace, which no prosperous sinner 

§ver knew- 

Yours truly, 

Epsilon. 



LETTER XXX. 

ON OLD AGE, DEATH. AND A FUTURE STATE. 

My dear Priend^ 

As I take my pen to write to you for the last 
time, a thousand solemn reflections force themselves upon 
my mind ; and I would, if possible, close our correspon- 
dence, with the feelings becoming one, whose work be- 
low will soon be accomplished. I hope also, that the 
few thoughts I am to suggest, will be profitable to you, 
contributing, in some humble degree, to your advance- 
ment in piety, and preparation for a happy death. 

If your hfe be spared a few years longer, you will 
reach the period of old age — to which, 1 hope you will 
look forward with the seriousness and serenity, proper 
for one, who has voluntarily renounced the world as his 
portion, and has built his immortal hopes on the Rock — • 
Christ Jesus. It is a period of many bodily infirmities, 
and often of much mental suffering. The senses of the 
aged are in most instances impaired ; their ear is dull, 
their eye grows dim, their whole frame totters, as if hasten- 
ing to its fall. " I am this day," said Barzillai, '' four- 
score years old ; and can I discern between good and 
evil ? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink ? 
can I hear any more the voice of singing men and 
singing women? " Juvenal has a similar thought ; 

^' Nor wine, nor food, his torpid palate please," 

26* 



306 

Again, 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 



" What music or enchanting voice can cheer, 
A stupid, old, impenetrable ear ? " 

Among the trials of old people, can never be forgotten 
the numerous changes they have witnessed, in the circle 
of their social friendships and family connexions, to which 
they once clung as the dearest of all their earthly de- 
pendencies. When the aged man reflects on the rava- 
ges of death around him, the companions of his youth, 
now no more, and other generations occupying the pla- 
ces which his contemporaries once filled— no wonder 
that he seems to himself like a solitary tree, whose fel- 
lows have been felled by the axe, uprooted by the whirl- 
wind, or consumed by fire. Every where he finds mo- 
mentos of the brevity and vanity of human life. Every 
where he meets scenes, which remind him of days gone 
by ; of once smihng faces, now marred — of once familiar 
voices, now silent ; of beings, who made his troubles and 
his happiness their own, but whom he will behold no 
more, till he greet them in that country to which flesh 
and blood shall never come. 

" Time rolls his ceaseless course ; the race of yore 
That danc'd our infancy upon their knee, 
And told our marvelling boyhood legends' store 
Of strange adventures happ'd by land or sea — 
How are they blotted from the things that be ! " 

He may be tempted also, since jealousy is the too com- 
mon passion of declining years, to suspect that he is neg- 
lected, that he is regarded as a burden by the world, and 
that no services he can render will be acceptable to his 
fellow-men. 

Yet old age may be rendered cheerful and happy. 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 307 

Why should he be moved, whose trust is in the Lord 7 
True piety is the sweetener of hfe, through its whole du- 
ration ; and, in some respects, no one has so much reason to 
be joyful, as he who has walked in " wisdom's ways," for 
many years, and is approaching the precincts of his eter- 
nal home. It is true, indeed, in most cases, that resigna- 
tion and humble confidence are preeminently the graces 
of aged saints, as zeal and buoyant hope are the charac- 
teristics of youthful believers. The former, perhaps, 
think more of God, his government, and his grace ; the 
latter, more of man, his powers, his responsibilities, and 
the means to be employed for raising society to its high- 
est perfection. 

Among the virtues, in which the aged are in special 
danger of being deficient, and which for this reason they 
should cultivate with the greater care, are forbearance 
with regard to the follies resulting from inexperience, and 
candour in judging of the foibles or alleged improvements 
of the younger generation. Sanguine in youth, we 
naturally, as we advance in years, become distrustful of 
innovations, not only because we have often found them 
to be rash and injurious, but because they interrupt the 
quietude of long established habits, and mental associa- 
tions, and imply moreover, a reflection on the wisdom of 
all past times. The levity which leads to an approval 
of every novel form of quackery, every opinion that con- 
tradicts the creed of other days, is wholly unworthy of a 
rational being. How ill, then, does it become one, who 
has been long experienced in the business and ways of 
the world ! Old men are certainly bound to bear their 
solemn testimony against erroneous doctrines, and vicious 
practices^ with whatever pretended zeal for improvement 
they may be defended ; — but that this testimony may 
have the greater weight, it should be given with a dispo- 



308 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

sition to do full justice to all that is truly praiseworthy in 
the character, designs, and more important movements 
of the age. 

The intercourse of the aged with young persons may 
be rendered highly beneficial, by an affectionate and 
dignified famiharity. Experience is naturally expected 
to impart its counsels to inexperience. Old people, by 
their fund of wisdom, and amusing profitable anecdote, 
may render themselves very agreeable companions to 
youth of an ingenuous temper ; while the latter, by their 
vivacity and docility, may do much to reheve the tedium 
of life in those, whose term of earthly service is, accord- 
ing to the course of nature, drawing towards a close. 

Peevishness has commonly been considered as one of 
those faults, to which the aged are peculiarly exposed. 
To avoid this very offensive and unsocial vice, they 
should accustom themselves to those cheering views, 
which are furnished by an habitual and pious contem- 
plation of the character of God, the perfection of his 
government, and the benevolence of his designs to- 
wards the Church and the world ; cherishing, at the 
same time, a philanthropic interest in whatever re- 
lates to the good of man, whether he be regarded as an 
inhabitant of this earth, or viewed as an heir of immor- 
tality. Who can help envying the happiness of those 
venerable men, who, after having borne the heat and 
burden of the day, spend the evening of their life, when 
tired nature asks repose, in the noble occupation of doing 
good to their fellow-creatures? I have known a saint, 
between seventy and eighty years of age, who, from 
feebleness of body, was in a great measure incapacitated 
for his former active pursuits, employing almost every 
day in reUgious visits — warning the careless, comforting 
the afflicted, directing inquirers to the Saviour, and com- 
mending, wherever he went, his neighbours and friends 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 309 

to the mercy of God, in affectionate and humble prayer. 
All were pleased to see him, for he was universally loved 
and venerated in the village where he was born, and 
where his whole hfe from early youth had been passed, 
in noiseless and unostentatious goodness. His zeal for 
the welfare of others continued to the last ; and with 
the language of prayer, thanksgiving and praise upon 
his lips, he departed to dwell with God in a better world. 
What he did, others may do ; making, according to the 
proverbial expression, their last days their best, and their 
last comforts their most precious. 

The comparative leisure which the aged generally 
enjoy, intimates to them their duty to be much engaged 
in reading, meditation, prayer, and other services, by 
which piety is strengthened, and the soul exercises her 
wings preparatory to her flight to heaven. By nearness 
to God in devotion, a Christian may continue to bless his 
fellow-men, after he has become wholly unable to mingle 
in their pursuits, and confined by debility and decay to 
the apartment, whence he will never be removed, till 
death release him from all his toils. " The effectual, 
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." 

Philosophy has sometimes talked of dying gracefully 
and nobly ; and there is, my friend, a genuine grace, a 
true nobility in death, after which it is your duty to as- 
pire. I refer not to such a death as that of Ceesar, muffling 
his face in his mantle : nor of Augustus, boasting of the 
glory of his reign ; nor of Hume, spending his last 
hours in games of chance, and indulging himself in 
jests, in anticipation of his supposed interview with 
Charon, the fabled ferryman of Hades ; nor of the sol- 
dier, who, fainting with the loss of blood, and about to 
close his eyes forever on all the objects of this lower 
world, exults that he has fallen in the arms of victory. 



310 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

" The chamber where the good man meets his fate 

Is privileged beyond the common walk 

Of virtuous life, quite on the verge of heaven : 

Whatever farce the boastful hero plays, 

Virtue alone has majesiy in death. 

Whence this brave bound o'er limits fix'd to man? 

His God sustains him in his final hour ! 

His final hour brings glory to his God." 

Dwell much, my dear sir, on the brevity of this mor- 
tal life, the great end of your being, and your everlast- 
ing destiny. These are considerations most necessary 
to all ; and familiarity with them is implied in your pro- 
fession as a christian. If a heathen king of Macedon 
would sober his earthly hopes, and regulate his pursuits, 
by the influence of the daily monition — " Philip, remem- 
ber that thou art mortal" — how much more readily 
should the same solemn lesson be welcomed by the be- 
liever in Christ ! In reference to this subject, there is a 
beautiful and striking passage in the works of that 
quaint writer. Sir Thomas Browne : " For the world, I 
count it not an inn but a hospital, and a place, not to 
live but to die in. The world that I regard is myself, it 
is the microcosm of my own frame, that I can cast mine 
eye on— for the other I use it but hke my globe, and 

turn it round sometimes for my recreation. The 

earth is a point not only in respect of the heavens above 
us, but of that heavenly and celestial part within us. 
That mass of flesh that circumscribes me, limits not 
my mind. That surface that tells the heavens it hath 
an end, cannot persuade me I have any. There is 
surely a piece of divinity in us — something that was be- 
fore the heavens, and owns no homage unto the sun. 
Nature tells me I am the image of God, as well as 
Scripture. He that understands not thus much, hath 



I 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 311 

not his introduction, or first lesson, and hath yet to begin 
the alphabet of man." 

While you wait patiently till your change come, be 
careful that your soul be always dressed for its last sum- 
mons and appearance before God. The Christian should 
so live, that the hope of emancipation from the bondage 
of his corruptible body, may fill him, from day to day, 
with thankfulness and joy. Nature, indeed, shrinks 
from the final conflict. There is something, to which 
religion only can reconcile a sober man, in the dread 
mysterious agony of dissolution. What is that new 
sensation which seizes him, whose heart and flesh are 
failing? What are those visions that rush upon the 
soul, as she is about to break from her earthly moorings, 
and plunge into the vast unknown ? 

To be deceived in an affair of such moment as that 
of our title to everlasting happiness, — this is truly the 
saddest, the most irreparable of all errors. But whose 
fault is it, if we are deceived ? Is any thing needful, 
but an observation of the exercises of our own hearts, 
comparing them with the word of God, in order to assure 
us of our real condition, and prospects beyond the tomb ? 
And in this world of sin and sorrow, what is there, for 
which you would live alway l 



"Death is the crown of life ! 
Were death denied, poor man would live in vain ; 
"Were death denied, to live vk^ould not be life : 
Were death denied, even fools would wish to die. 
Death wounds to cure ; we fall, we rise, we reign! 
Spring from our fetters, fasten in the skies, 
Where blooming Eden withers in our sight. 
Death gives us more than was in Eden lost; 
This king of terrors is the prince of peace. 
When shall I die to vanity, pain, death ? 
When shall I die ? — when shall I live forever ?" 



312 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

We have the fullest testimony of the Scriptures, that 
death does not destroy the believer's nobler being — that, 
on the contrary, it exalts that being to an eminence of 
glory worthy of its faculties, and the stupendous price 
paid for its redemption. See in what terms its indestruc- 
tibleness is affirmed : " To-day," said Jesus, to the peni- 
tent thief on the cross, '' shalt thou be with me in para- 
dise." How could the Saviour have made such a pro- 
mise, if the soul of the dying man were to lose its con- 
sciousness with the extinction of animal life ? Paul de- 
clared that, so long as he was at home in the body, he 
was absent from the Lord ; '' We are confident, I say, 
and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be 
present with the Lord." He had no doubt but death 
would introduce him at once into the immediate presence 
of his beloved Redeemer and God. " For to me to live 
is Christ, and to die is gain. For I am in a strait be- 
twixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with 
Christ ; which is far better." He did not mean to say, 
as some would represent him saying, that, because he 
should lose all consciousness in the grave, there would, 
therefore, be no sensible succession of time, from the 
moment of his death to the resurrection ; for, in the fol- 
lowing verse, he says, '' Nevertheless, to abide in the 
flesh is more needful for you ; " a declaration, which im- 
ports his existence among those to whom his epistle was 
written, at the very time when, if he had died, he would 
have been present with his Saviour in glory. Besides, 
is it credible, that so pious a man could have preferred 
the cessation of ail thought, all activity, in the grave, to 
a life of devotion and benevolent labours on earth 7 To 
say nothing of the selfishness of such a choice, how does 
it comport with the strong language he often uses to ex- 
press the comfort which his religion gave him, amidst all 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 313 

his privations and sufferings ? " I have learned in what- 
soever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both 
how to be abased, and I know how to abound : every 
where and in all things I am instructed both to be full, 
and to be hungry, both to abound, and to suffer need. 
I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth 
me." Was the man who could write thus, capable of 
writing in the same letter, "lam so weary of my life, 
that, rather than serve God by patient continua^ice in 
well-doing in this world of sorrow, 1 long to lie down in 
the dust, in utter oblivion of all my duties, responsibilities, 
afflictions, and enjoyments ? " 

No words can describe, no mind here can adequately 
conceive, the glory which is implied in being with Christ. 
All the redeemed in heaven behold in him a union of 
majesty and condescension, authority and grace, the 
view of which these dying bodies could not sustain. It 
was a beam of his celestial brightness which pierced 
through the veil of his mortaUty on Mount Tabor, when 
there appeared Moses and Elias talking with him of the 
decease which he w^as to accomplish at Jerusalem. A 
sight of Jesus, risen and glorified, prostrated, in a mo- 
ment, a proud and persecuting Saul of Tarsus ; and the 
same sight, w^ere it universally witnessed, would doubt- 
less spread consternation and dismay through all the 
ranks of the Redeemer's enemies. At a sublime vision- 
ary representation of Jesus, the beloved disciple fell at 
his feet as dead ; and could not be reassured, until the 
Prince of glory laid his band upon him, saying, " Fear 
not, 1 am the first and the last." To be with Christ is 
to behold this Saviour in the height of his elevation ; to 
listen to those discourses of his, which none but immor- 
tal ears could receive ; to wear his moral image in its 
spotless purity ; and to be irradiated by the light of his 

27 



314 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

love, as well as wrapped up in the mysterious splendors 
of his mediation and Godhead. Where is he who has 
good evidence of his readiness for heaven, that can dread 
the thought of going thither, though it be through the 
iron gate and dark entry of death ? 

There you will find the worthies of all past time ; and 
be continually hailing the arrival from this earth of ran- 
somed spirits, purified from all iniquity. To all the saints 
in paradise, you will be endeared by ties stronger than 
those of any earthly brotherhood — by a perfect congeni- 
ality of views and dispositions ; love to the same glorious 
objects ; fellowship in employments ; and perfect exemp- 
tion from all those annoying and malignant passions, 
which have converted this world, once so beautiful, into 
a field of battle and of blood. No covetousiicss, ambi- 
tion, envy, jealousy, hatred, or revenge, shall ever pass 
those ramparts, which guard the eternal city of the holy. 
Jesus, the first-born! and all the heavenly worshippers 
assimilated to him — their elder Brother! 

There, too, you will be united to " an innumerable 
company of angels," whose delight it has been for thou- 
sands of years, to know and do their Creator's will. 

There will you find your wearisome toils to be succeed- 
ed by rest ; your ignorance, by the sublime of knowledge ; 
your doubts, by certainty ; your fears, by the perfect 
fruition of God ; and your warfare, by the congratula- 
lations, crown, and royal throne, reserved for the con- 
queror. Heaven is a point of observation, whence the 
eye wanders, without weariness and without bounds, 
over the variegated manifestations and works of God. 
Heaven is the great metropolis, where the confluence of 
worthy emigrants from all worlds, presents, at one view, 
the beauty, wealth, and magnificence of the universe. It 
is the resting-place of hearts, bruised by the world's in- 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 315 

justice ; of benevolence, insulted and scorned; of devout 
souls, whose aspirations here seemed to fall on vacancy ; 
and of all those gentler affections, which were here like 
light in a cavern, or the soft breathings of a summer's 
morn, in the regions of perpetual snow. There sancti- 
fied intellect marches forth in the grandeur of its humili- 
ty ; there the feeblest understanding assumes a superna- 
tural strength, as it leans on the arm of infinite wisdom ; 
there all created minds bask under the rays of the Uncre- 
ated, and reflect, hke so many diamonds, of larger or 
smaller dimensions, the eternal brightness of his counte- 
nance. 

The happiness of heaven will never end. This life's 
joys are but for a moment. Its glory is but a dream that 
is told. The ransomed of the Lord are as pillars in the 
temple of God to go no more out forever ; stars, that will 
sparkle the more gloriously, when planets and suns are 
extinguished ; undecaying gems in the Redeemer's 
crown, which he purchased by his groans, his agonies, 
and his blood. 

The resurrection, the judgment, the last conflagration, 
will be but the winding up of this earth's drama ; and 
then Cometh the kingdom of the saints in the fulness of 
its promised perfection. 

May you and I, my dear friend, meet and congratulate 
each other, in sight of the bursting tomb, the rising dead, 
and the final obsequies of nature. 

What shall I say more ? I have freely expressed to you 
my views on a great variety of subjects. May God for- 
give all that has been amiss ; and accept all that has 
been well-intended, and agreeable to his will. 

In the words with which the apostle concludes his un- 
equalled representation of the resurrection of the just, in 
the 15th chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians, 



316 PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

permit me to close this letter, and our correspondence : 
"Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in 
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your 
labour is not in vain in the Lord." 

Farewell, 

Epsilon. 



THE END. 



BOOKS 

PUBLISHED AND FOR SALE BY 

JOHN S. TAYLOR, 

THEOLOGICAL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL BOOKSELLER, 
BRICK CHURCH CHAPEL, 

CORNER OF PARK-ROW AND NASSAU-STREET, OPPOSITE THE CITY-HALL, 
NEW-YORK. 



SELECT REMAINS OF THE LATE WILLIAM NE- 

VINS, D. D. with a Memoir. Price $1 00. 

From the New-York Weekly Messenger. 
Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir.—' 
" The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance." They erect for 
themselves a monument, enduring as the throne of God, imperishable as the 
crown of glory which bedecks the brow of hira who is Lord of all. These 
lights of the world are never extinguished ; but while their mortal remains 
are mouldering in the tomb, the recollection of their graces enkindles in 
those who remain, a flame of holy emulation and zeal. Such is, and will 
be the case, with respect to the lamented divine whose honored name stands 
at the head of this notice. Dr. Nevins was a man of eminent piety and 
great talent, and though he requested that no extended memoir of him might 
be attempted, yet it was never likely but that some account of him should 
be written and published. This has been done, and the usefulness of the 
v/ork before us cannot fail to be co-extensive with its circulation. The 
prominent features of Dr. Nevins' character are worthy of universal uTiita- 
tion. His talents and acquirements were superior, his piety sincere, and his 
wisdom practical. Humility and amiability, diligence and punctuality, were 
traits acknowledged by all who knew him. He was a powerful writer, and 
those productions of his pen which appear in this volume as " Select Re- 
mains," arc " as apples of gold in pictm'cs of silver" — " words fitly spoken." 
In addition to all the excellencies with which this volume abounds, we 
are happy to mention the neatness and beauty of its typography, the white- 
ness of the paper, and the exquisite delicacy of the beautiful likeness of Dr. 
Nevins with which the book is embellished. We shall cease to mention 
London books as standards of taste and elegance, if such volumes as this 
are presented to us from a New York press and bindery. We recommend 
this work to universal attention. 

From the New-York Evangelist. 
Nevins' Remains.— A Memoir of the late Rev. William Nevins, with Se- 
lect Extracts from his unpublished writings. 

The public were . informed, at the time of Dr. Nevins' decease, that his 



2 ADVEETISEMENTS. 

-\ 

pa])ers had been placed, by himself, in the hands of Rev. William Plumer, 
to be used at his discretion. The volume before us is the result, and shows 
that the discretion has been discreetly exercised. The memoir is brief, in 
decorous conformity to the expressed wish of the deceased. The selections 
are mostly paragraphs and short essays, such as Dr. N. was accustomed to 
write for the papers. 

Probably none of our readers have yet to learn the character of Dr. Ne 
vins, as a Christian of rich experience, a pastor of tried fidelity, and a writer 
of religious essays unsurpassed in our day. To all his friends this volume 
will be a valuable memento. The publisher has spared no pains in the ex. 
ternal appearance of the book, which is equal to the finest productions of the 
English press. The portrait is very fine. 

Fropi the New-York Observer. 

Select Remains of Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir. — This 
valuable work has just been published by Mr. John S. Taylor, comer of 
Park-row and Nassau-street. It is a handsome octavo of 398 pages, con- 
taining a portrait engraved on steel. About 80 pages are occupied with a 
biographical notice of Dr. Nevins and extracts from his diary. From 1830 
vmtil 1835, they are given in an unbroken series. We have seldom read a 
diary with deeper interest. It becomes richer and richer in heavenly thoughts 
as the author drew near the end of his earthly labors. The book consists 
chiefly of selections from his unpublished v/ritings, which are replete with 
the purest and most exalted sentiments, expressed with simplicity, con- 
ciseness, and point. To all who have read Mr. Nevins' Essays in the New- 
York Observer, over the signature of M. S. it is needless to remark upon 
the excellence and peculiar charm of his writings, wliich combine senten- 
tiousness^ and pungency with deep and living piety. The work may be 
recommended as useful in forminy. and strengtliening, and maturing the 
Christian graces. 

From the Newark Daily Advertiser. 

Select Remains of Rev. William Nevins, D. D. ivith a Memoir. — An 
elegant octavo of 400 pages, v/ith a spirited portrait from a painting by In- 
man. The work is in all respects — pa|>er, print, binding, contents — a 
beautiful memorial of an amiable and lamented divine, whose pure light 
shone brightly in the church. The memoir is brief and modest, consisting 
chiefly of extracts from his correspondence with his friends. The " Re- 
mains" comprise a great variety of extracts from Dr. Nevins' writings, con- 
taining his views on most leading questions which interest the attention of 
the christian world. 

After straining the eye over the full and condensed pages of the popular 
publications of the day, we experience great relief from the bold typography, 
open page, and clear broad margin of an old-fashioned volume like this. 
The publisher has given us a noble specimen of his art. 

Fi-om the Commercial Advertiser. 

Remains of Nevins. — ^John S. Taylor has just published a large and ele- 
gantly printed and bound, 8vo, entitled " Select Remains of the Rev. Wm. 
Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir." The name of the author and compiler is 
not given , but he has executed his labor with excellent judgment and taste. 
The memoir is a rapid sketch of the life of Dr. Nevins, for which, although 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 3 

^y no means devoid of interest, it appears that few materials had been pre- 
served. 

The " Select Remains" consist, for the most part, of short sKetches and 
fragments of compositions, devout meditations, reflections, &c. upon a great 
variety of religious and moral subjects, with a collection of select sentences, ' 
aphorisms, &c. &c. found scattered among the papers of the deceased. 
Among these are many bright and beautiful thoughts, and the whole work 
is interspersed with such a rare spirit of meek and gentle piety as is but sel- 
dom to be found in the compositions of the best. He was a man who al- 
most literally " walked with God." 

From the American Citizen. 

Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir. — 
This work (to adopt the language of the Newark Advertiser) is, in all re- 
spects — paper, print, binding, contents — a beautiful memorial of an amiable 
and lamented divine, whose pure light shone brightly in the Church. The 
memoir is brief and modest, consisting chiefly of extracts from his corres 
pondence with his friends. The " Remains" comprise a great variety of ex 
tracts from Dr. Nevins' writings, containing his views on most leading ques- 
tions which interest the attention of tlie Cliristian world. 

The volume is an octavo of 400 pages, is printed on large open type, has 
a spirited likeness of the subject of the Memoir, painted by Inman, and en- 
graved by Paradise, and is otherwise well " got up." Though Dr. Nevins 
died young, his fame (if the word may be pardoned) as a preacher and writer, 
was wide spread, and we cannot but trust that the good taste and liberal spirit 
of the publisher, as evinced in this instance, will be duly appreciated and re- 
warded- Indeed, the public — the religious public especially — are much in- 
debted to Mr. Taylor for their previous acquaintance with the author of these 
Remains, through the " Practical Thoughts,''^ and the " Thoughts on Po- 
pery" the first of Avhich works is every where read with pleasure, and both, 
it is hoped, with profit ; and they have doubtless prepared the way for the 
favorable reception of the present volume. 

Dr. Nevins wrote much, and all who read, will acknowledge that he wrote 
well. 

From the Evening Star. 
Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir. — 
The subject of this memoir was a pious and unpretending divine, in posses- 
sion of strong faculties and many great virtues. His life was one of great 
usefulness, and much of his time devoted to the relief of the distressed and 
the alleviation of tlie misfortunes of his brethren. The style in which this 
work is sent forth deserves the highest commendation. The type is large, 
full, and handsome, and the paper is white, clear and lustrous, and presents a 
beautiful specimen of typographical neatness. 

From the Journal of Commerce. 

Memoir and Remains of Rev. Dr. Nevins, late of Baltimore. — An m- 
telligcnt friend who has read this work, (which we have not yet found time 
to do,) speaks of it as " a beautiful volume, and as usefiil as it is beautiful.** 
He adds — " The Memoir is prepared by a judicious friend of the deceased, 
whose name is not given, and the Remains consists of short reflections on va- 
rious subjects of every day utility, for wliich the lamented author (alas ! too 
ijoon removed to liis reward) was so celebrated. The manner in which it is 



4 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

got up, is very creditable to the publisher, Mr. John S. Taylor, of Park Row, 
Chatham street. We need such aids to reflection, and we hope our readers 
will patronize this book, and make themselves familiar with the precepts and 
example of the worthy disciple of our Savior." 

From the New-York American. 

Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir. — 
The life of a pious, unpretending, and zealous Clergjrman, offers little out of 
which to make a book suited to the popular taste — but affection loves to per- 
petuate the memory of its objects, and affection has ushered forth this vol- 
ume, beautiful in its materials and typography, and well fitted to instruct, 
refine, and purify by its contents. 

The extracts from the diary of Dr. Nevins present him in a most favorable 
light, as a cheerful, hiunble and resigned clergyman — ^who found in the midst 
of severe domestic affliction that his religion was a reality, and that its pro- 
mises were not in vain. 

The greater part of the volume is made up of miscellaneous extracts on 
different subjects, all connected with religion, &om the manuscript papers of 
Dr. Nevins. 

From the Philadelphia Gazette. 

Dr. Nevins. — ^We find upon our table a beautifully printed octavo volume, 
entitled " Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Me- 
moir ;" and we observe also, a well engraved likeness of the estimable subject 
of the Memoir. We found time to read only the Memoir and some of the 
" Remains." We share, we suppose, with most persons the pleasure of read- 
ing diaries, auto-biographical sketches, and short memoirs. They open up 
the heart to the reader, and, as face answers to face in the glass, one finds 
his own heart beating responsive to the pulsations of his whose experience 
he is gathering. Dr. Nevins was a man of deep affections — ^v/hile he seem- 
ed to direct all its streams towards objects of eternal interest, there was a 
swelling up and gushing forth for home and the fire-side circle, that showed 
how salutary are the touches of religion upon earthly love \ the true exercise 
of the latter being the best evidences of the existence of the former. 

The " Remains" are extracts from the sermons and occasional writings of 
Dr. Nevins, and show a ripe scholar, a clear thinker, and good writer. We 
commend the book to those who like religious reading — ^they will find plea- 
sure in its perusal. We commend it more to those who do not like religious 
reading — they will find profit from its study. 

From the New-Yorker, 

« Select Remains of Rev. William Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir.^^ — 
Rarely have we welcomed to our table a volume so strikingly creditable to 
the American press as that now before us — a beautifully and richly executed 
octavo of 400 pages. The matter is worthy of the garb in which it is pre- 
sented. The divine whose " Remains" are thus given to the public, was a 
burning and a shining light in the Presbyterian Church, and his decease was 
deeply and widely felt by his brethren in faith, but especially at Baltimore, 
the theatre of his labors of love. The volume now published consists of 
choice extracts from his sermons, his letters, and his contributions to reli- 
gious joiirnals. It is embellished by a beautiful likeness, and deserves an 
honorable place in the library of the orthodox Christian. 



ADVEHTISEMENTS. 



From the New-York Express. 



Select Remains of the Rev. Mr. Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir. — New- 
York, John S. Taylor, corner of Park Row and Nassau-street; an elegant 
octavo of 400 pages, with a spirited portrait from a painting by Irunan. 
The work is in all respects — paper, print, binding, and contents — a beauti- 
ful memorial of an amiable and lamented divine, whose pure light shone 
brightly in the church. The memoir is brief and modest, consisting chiefly 
of extracts from his correspondence with his friends. The " Remains" com- 
prise a great variety of extracts from Dr. Nevins' writings, containing his 
views on the leading questions which interest the attention of the christian 
world. 

From the Morning Star. 

Select Remains of the Rev. Mr. Nevins, D. D., with a Memoir, with an 
elegant portrait, from a painting by Inman. 

Tliis is a most l)eautif'ul work. In paper, print, and binding, it exceeds 
any new work that we have seen. The Memoir is correct and brief. The 
Remains comprise a variety of the finest extracts from the writings of this 
eminently talented and lamented divine : several of them are on the doc- 
trines which now agitato tlic church. 

From the American Baptist. 

Select Remains of the Rev. Williajn Nevins, D. D. With a Memoir. 
8vo. pp. 398. 

With Dr. Nevins, it was never our happiness to be personally acquainted. 
But the perusal of this work has left a deep yet unavailing regret, that we 
should have been contemporary with such a choice spirit — should have 
dwelt in the same city with him, and it may be, have sided by him in the 
crowded street, and yet never have seen, and never have known him ! 

And so will it be with many, now pressing with us for the goal, who, 
when they have outrun us in the Christian stadium, have seized the gar- 
land, and their virtues and their victories have been heralded to the church 
and to the world, we shall regret that we saw them not, and wonder most of 
all, that living in the same age, sojourning in the same cities, and perhaps 
for a time sheltered beneath the same roof, we yet should have let pass un- 
improved the golden opportunity of enriching our stores of piety and intelli- 
gence by an endeared and conficUng intercourse. 

To us the very sight of a holy man is sanctifying. We love to gaze on 
his resemblance to liis Lord, till we catch his spirit and are changed into the 
same image ! What gainers then might we have been, had we been brought 
within the influence of a man, a Christian, and a minister, so riclily endowed 
with piety and intellect, aiid around whom there was thrown, in foldings of 
such richness and grace, the beautiful robe of humility, as was Nevins ! 
What lessons might we have drawn from his holy walk, his stem principles 
of integrity, his untiring industry, his various and successful plans of use- 
fulricss, and the spirit of self-annihilation which enshrined all in its burning 
lustre ! But we have formed an intimacy with him through his " Remains," 
— alas ! that the response should be from the grave ! — and their perusal has 
left upon the heart the faint impress of a character, which, in its living iru 
flucncc, must have been peculiarly and eminently spiritual. Tlic «' Memoir" 
which introduces the " Remains," though brief, possesses yet a charm which 
otlier and more elaborate biographies can seldom claim — tliat of permitting 
the subject liiuiself to speak out the history of his own life and experience— 

1* 



b ADVERETISEMENTS. 

SO that the memoir of Nevins might be justly styled an auto-biography 
The extracts from his diary and letters will be read with deep interest — and 
cold and unfeeling must be the individual who can linger around the touch- 
ing picture of his desolated and broken heart, mourning over the grave of 
her who was the wife of his youth and the charm of his life, and feel no 
thrilling emotion. The Christian, too, who is, as was the departed Nevins, 
all his life-time in bondage through the fear of death, as he stands by his 
bed-side, and beholds liim with unshaken faith in the faithfulness of God, 
and listens to his song, though tremulous in death, of joy and triumph, will 
dismiss his fears, and commit his soul afresh to Him who is able to keep it 
against that day. 

But of his " Remains," what shall we say ? We have perused, and re- 
perused, and will peruse them yet again, so elevated in thought, so pure in 
style, so eloquent in language, and so rich in piety are they. We think, in 
each of these particulars, they will rank with " Pascal's and Adam's 
Thoughts," and with " Searl's Christian Remembrancer." By their side, on 
our biographical shelf, we have placed the " Remains and the Memoir of 
William Nevins." 

The work, as presented to the public by its enterprising publisher, John 
S. Taylor, Park Row, New-York, is a beautiful specimen of neatness in 
typography, and elegance in binding. Its appearance will vie with any 
book in this department of literature which we have yet received either from 
the English or the American press. That the fondest hopes which influ. 
enced Nevins in writing, Plumer in compiling, and Taylor in publishing 
this work, may reach the utmost limits of realization, is our sincerest wish . 

From the Long-Island Star. 

Select Remains of the Rev. William Nevins, D. D. with a Memoir — 
New- York — ^John S. Taylor. The gifted author of these posthumous frag- 
ments, while in the midst of his deeds of charity and love, and before he had 
reached his manhood's prime, was summoned from the field of his labors 
and conflicts to 

" Join the caravan that moves 

" To the pale realms of shade." 

Perhaps the usefulness of the art of printing is never so forcibly felt as 
ivhen death suddenly severs a great mind, and extinguishes a flaming light 
from among the living. The press seems to grasp and converge the rays 
that gather over the death-couch of the devoted in piety and strong in intel- 
lect and pours them out again in their full effulgence, 

" The round of rays complete," 
upon a benighted world. The press, into the everlastmg ear of its memory, 
seems to drink up the last impressive lesson and parting benediction of the 
departing patriarch, as he takes his departure to mingle with those beyond 
the flood, and hnparts to them an immortal voice, whereby " being dead, he 
yet speaketh." Truly may it be said of the lamented Nevins, " being dead, 
he yet speaketh" — speaketh in the kindness of heart by which he was en- 
deared to the social circle — speaketh by his good works, for which the 
widow and the fatherless still bless his memory — speaketh in his exemplary 
piety, which made him a "burning and a shining light" to a captious and 
infidel people — speaketh in the language of his eloquent teachings and aspi- 
rations, preserved in the volume before us, for the enlightenment and consc 
lation of the way-farer on life's bleak journey. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 7 

Prom the Rev. Wm. Adams, Pastor of the Broome-st. Church, New-York. 

Memoir and Select Remains of Nevins. — It would be difficult to men- 
tion a book which does more credit to an author or a publisher than this. 
The contents arc like " apples of gold in pictures of silver." 

Who that knew the lamented author, does not see Ms image reflected 
from these pages — refined, ornate, thoughtful and spiritual. We see him 
again passing through his various and diversified trials — prosperity and ad- 
versity, sickness and death, and coming out like silver that has been tried. 
We commend especially the fragments which were written under the great- 
est of all earthly losses, and in near prospect of his own departure. They 
breathe the spirit of heaven. Blessed be God for such an exemplification of 
faith and patience — for this new evidence of the reality and stability of our 
hopes. He was a burning and a shining light, and many have and will re- 
joice in that light. 

The fragmentary form of these articles will insure frequent perusal. 
They are the best specimens of this description since the Remains of Cecil ; 
with less of his mannerism and style, there is more of simplicity and adapt- 
edness to general readers. In a time of haste and little reflection, their 
brilliant thoughts may arrest attention, and lead others to reflect also. 

In unqualified terms do we commend this volume, for the richness of its 
contents and the uncommon elegance of its form. William Adams. 

PRACTICAL THOUGHTS. By the late Dr. Nevins, of 
Baltimore 

THOUGHTS ON POPERY. By Dr. Nevins, of Baltimore. 

From the New-York Observer of April 9th, 1836. 

The Practical Thoughts consists of forty-six articles on prayer, praise, 
professing Christ, duties to Sabbath Schools, the monthly concert, the con- 
version of the world, violations of the Sabbath, liberality, man's inconsis- 
tency, the pity of the Lord, Christian duty, death, &lc. ; the last of which 
are " Heaven's Attractions" and " The Heavenly Recognition," closing with 
the words, " By the time we have done what I recommend, we shall be 
close upon the celestial confines — 'perhaps within heaven's limits." * * 

There the sainted author laid down his pen, leaving the article unfin- 
ished, and went, none can doubt, to enjoy the blest reality of the scenes he 
had been so vividly describing. 

These articles combine great simplicity, attractiveness, and vivacity of 
thought and style, with a spiritual unction scarcely to be found in any other 
writer. Thousands of minds were impressed with them as they first ap- 
peared ; they reproved the inconsistent Christian, roused the slumbering, 
and poured a precious balm into many an afflicted bosom. While writing 
them, the author buried a beloved wife, and had daily more and more sure 
indications that the hour of his own departure was at hand ; and God ena- 
bled him, from the depth of his own Christian experience, to open rich foun- 
tauis of blessing for others. 

The Thoughts on Popery are like, and yet unlike, the other series. 
Tlierc is the same sprightliness of the imagination, the same clearness, ori- 
ginality, and richness of thought, with a keenness of argument, and some- 
times irony, that exposes the baseness and shamelcssness of the dogmas and 
superstitions of Popery, and that must carry home conviction to the under- 



8 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

standing anc heart of every unprejudiced reader. Piece by piece the delu- 
sion, not to say imposition, of that misnamed church are exposed, under the 
heads of the Sufficiency of the Bible, the Nine Commandments, Mortal and 
Venial Sins, Infallibility, Idolatry, Relics, the Seven Sacraments, Penance, 
the Mass, Celibacy of the Clergy, Purgatory, Canonizing Saints, Lafayette 
not at Rest, The Leopold Reports, Supererogation, Convents, &,c. We 
know of nothing that has yet been issued which so lays open the deformities 
of Popery to common minds, or is so admirably adapted to save oiu: country 
from its wiles, and to guard the souls of men from its fatal snares. 

HINTS TO PARENTS ON THE EARLY RELIGIOUS 
EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. By Gardiner Spring, D. 
D., Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church, New-York. 
18mo. with a steel engraving. Price 37i cts. 

From the New-York Weekly Messenger and Young Man's Advocate. 

Dr. Springes Hints to Parents. — One of the prettiest little works of this 
class that we have ever met with, is just published ; it is called " Hints to 
Parents on the Religious Education of Children. By Gardiner Spring, 
J). D." The author has been long and favorably known to the public as a 
chaste, powerful, and popular writer. The subject of the present work is 
one of great moment — one in which every parent has a real interest. And 
we commend this little volume, not only to pious parents, but to all who de- 
sire to bring up their children in such a manner as to make them an honor to 
themselves and a blessing to their fellow-men. 

From the Commercial Advertiser. 

Hints to Parents on the Religious Education of Children. By Gardi- 
ner Spring, D. D. — This beautiful little volume, coming out at this time, will 
be peculiarly acceptable to the congregation of the able and excellent author, 
and will have the effect of a legacy of his opinions on a most unportant sub- 
ject, now that for a time they are deprived of his personal instructions. It is 
a work that should be in the hands of every parent throughout our country, 
who has the temporal and eternal interest of his offspring at heart. The 
few and leading maxims of the Christian religion are plainly and practically 
enforced, and the parent's duties are descanted on in a strain of pure and 
beautiful eloquence, which a father's mind, elevated by religion, only could 
have dictated. We believe that a general knowledge of this little volume 
would be attended with consequences beneficial to society, since a practice of 
its recommendations could scarcely be refused to its solemn and affectionate 
spirit of entreaty. 

THE MINISTRY WE NEED. By S. H. Cox, D. D., and 
others. 375 cents. 

From the Literary and Theological Review. 
This neat little volume comprises the inaugural charge and address which 
were delivered on occasion of inducting the Professor of Sacred Rheto- 
ric AND Pastoral Theology in the Theological Seminary at Auburn. The 
friends of Dr. Cox will not be disappointed in his inaugural address. It bears 
the impress of his talents and piety — his enlarged views and CathoHc spirit. 
To analyze it would convey no adequate idea of its merits. His theme is the 



ADVERTISEMENTS. V 

ministry of reconciliation — " the chosen medium by which God conciliates 
men — the mighty moral enginery that accomplishes his brightest wonders— 
the authentic diplomacy of the King of kings working salvation in the midst 
of the earth." The maimer in which he treats his subject, in relation to the 
importance of the Christian ministry, and the kind of ministry needed in this 
age and nation, we need hardly remark, will amply repay the perusal of liis 
brethren, if not be interesting and instructive to the Church at large. 

" Error-scenting notoriety" may not altogether like the odor of this little 
book ; and the " lynx-eyed detecters of heresy" will not be forward to ap- 
prove a work in which they are handled with unsparing severity ; but by " all 
the favorers on principle of a pious, sound, educated, scriptural, and accom- 
plished ministry in the Church of God, and throughout the world, as the 
MINISTRY WE NEED, to whom this little volume is most respectfully inscribed," 
it will be read, and, we tmst, circulated. 

THE LILY OF THE VALLEY. 18mo. Price 37i cents. 

From the Methodist Protestant, Balticnore. 
This is a neat and very interesting little volume. The narrative tlirough- 
out will be read with pleasure, and some portions of it with thrilling interest. 
The story is natural, and told in very neat language and with admirable sim- 
plicity. It is not only calculated to please and interest the mind of the reader, 
but also to make moral and religious impressions upon the heart. We are 
well assured, if its merits were generally known, that it would find its way 
into many families and Sabbath school libraries, as it is particularly adapted 
to please and engage the attention of Juvenile readers. 

From the Christian Intelligencer. 
This is a republication of a small narrative volume published in England. 
The narrative is written with beautiful simplicity, possesses a touching inte- 
rest, and is calculated to leave a salutary impression. It is well fitted for a 
present by parents or friends to children, and is worthy of a place in Sabbath 
school libraries. 

From the Ladies' Morning Star of Aug. 26, 1836. 
The above is the title of a very interesting little work of 123 pages, recently 
published and for sale by John S. Taylor, Brick Church Chapel, New- York. 
It is a simple though beautiful narrative of a young female, some portions of 
which are of the most pathetic and affecting character, particularly designed 
for the edification and instruction of young females, and a most excellent work 
to introduce into Sabbath schools. Its tendency is to kindle the flames of 
piety in the youthful bosom, to instruct the understanding, and to warm and 
improve the heart. Its intrinsic though unostentatious merits, should furnish 
it with a welcome into every family. 

Commendatory Notice, by the Rev. W. Patton. 
Mr. J. S. Taylor, — It affords me pleasure to learn that you are about to 
republish the little work called " The Lily of the Valley." Since the time 
it was presented to my daughter by tlie Rev. Dr. Matheson, of England, it has 
been a great favorite in my family. It has been read with intense interest by 
many, who have from time to time obtained tlie loan of it. Indeed it has but 
seldom been at home since its first perusal. I doubt not but all who have read 
it will be glad of the opportunity of possessing a copy. 



10 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

The story is not only natural, but instructive ; and well calculated to im. 
press upon the mind important moral and religious lessons. Some portions o! 
the narrative are of the most touching and thrilling character. There is a 
charming simplicity pei-vading the work. I feel a strong confidence that you 
will find an ample sale for the book. It will find its way into many families, 
and be found in the libraries of the Sabbath school. 
Yours respectfully, 

Wm. Patton. 

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. By 

William C. Brownlee, D. D. $1 00. 

From the Religious Magazine. 

Lights and Shadows of Christian Life. Designed for the Instruction 
of the Young. By William Craig Brownlee, D. D. of the Collegiate 
Reformed Dutch Church, New -York. New-York, John S. Taylor. 1837. 
12mo. pp. 388. — Dr. Brownlee has here presented tlie Christian public 
with a volume of Religious Tales, which cannot fail, we think, to be read 
with general interest by the friends of religion, to whatever creed they may 
belong. It is refreshing to find one who has been so long harnessed for po. 
lemical warfare, thus laying aside his spear and shield, and endeavouring to 
benefit his readers, by presenting the truths of religion under so attractive a 
form as is aflforded by well- written tales. This is, without doubt, a difficult 
species of composition, and one in which, though many have made the at- 
tempt, few have ever met with more than partial and short-lived success. For 
this fact there are plainly some obvious reasons. The fii*st is probably the 
want of a correct public taste for what is just and true in religion. The 
second, we imagine, lies rather in the mode in which the attempt has usually 
been made, than in the nature of the case. It is much easier, and conse- 
quently far more common, to connect dull and tedious conversations on reli- 
gious topics, with a meagre and uninteresting narrative, than to form a story 
which shall by its very texture, impress religious truth, without the aid of 
direct instruction. Hence, such works, considered as religious essays, are 
too barren of instruction, to engage much attention, and, viewed as tales, 
they want the essential element of deep and permanent mterest in the 
narrative. 

The views of our author upon this subject may be learned from the fol- 
lowing extract from his introductory address to his youthful readers. 

Whether the honour, thus " accepted" by Dr. Brownlee, of being asso- 
ciated, m any sense, with Professor Wilson, the incomparable author of the 
" Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life," will be finally awarded to him, it 
woiild be premature for us to attempt to decide by anticipating the verdict of 
futurity. To be thus associated is indeed a high honom*, and one which un- 
doubtedly requires far more for its attainment, than to compose a book with a 
title similar to that of the highly popular work of the Professor. A**. 

From the Methodist Protestant. 
Lights and Shadows of a Christian Life ; designed for the instruction 
of the young, by Wm. C. Brownlee, D. D. — This is a most excellent and 
valuable work. It comprises several highly interesting narratives intended 
for the illustration of divine truth, and the enforcement of duty. They are 
founded on fact, and presented in an attractive and nervous style, and well 
calculated to engage the attention of juvenile readers, for whom the hqc^ is 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 11 

principally designed ; and to make deep impressions upon the mind in favor 
of the Christian religion. There was a great necessity for a volume, whose 
attractions might divert the mind from those light and trashy productions 
that are teeming from the press, and calculated to vitiate the taste, and en- 
feeble the intellect of the reader. This necessity is now met by the interest- 
ing and useful volume of Dr. Brownlee ; which we hope will have an 
extensive circulation. 

The book is got up in excellent style by the publisher, Mr. J. S. Taylor, 
of New-York, It may be had in this city of J. J. Harrod. 

From the Philadelphia Observer. 
Lights and Shadows of Christian Life, by William C. Brownlee, D. D . 
Published by J. S. Taylor, New-York, and Henry Perkins, Philadelphia. 
Tlie author of this work is well known to, and appreciated by, the Ameri 
can public, as an able controyersialist. He exhibits himself in the present 
publication, as no less able in presenting the details of ordinary life, and in 
giving them an interesting fonn, and a practical direction. Instruction, and 
entertainment, are judiciously blended in this volume, so as to make it at- 
tractive to the young, for whose benefit it is principally designed. Lovers 
of the romance of fiction, will find here the romance of real life in the dc. 
tails of historic facts, as they have occurred in the Christian's career ; the 
contemplation of which, instead of dissipating the mind, and filling the 
memory with nonsense, will contribute to concentrate the view on the folly 
of scepticism, the lofty principles, and the ricl\ consolations of the religion 
of the gospel. 

From the Religious Telegraph, 

Lights and Shadows of Christian Life. By Win. C. Brownlee, New. 
York. Published by John S. Taylor, 12mo. pp. 388. 

This is an interesting volume, replete with instruction for the young on 
the most important subjects. It contains a series of short and touching 
narratives, eight in number, drawn from real life, presenting a view of the 
joys and sorrows, the lights and shadows of Christian life. The first in the 
series is a portrait of " the General, or the utter imbecility of modern infi- 
delity ;" the second, " the Duel Prevented." The others, which pourtray 
the blessed influences and triumphs of grace, are, " the General's Widow ;" 
" the Afflicted Mother ;" " the Elder's Son, or the Spoiled Child ;" " Inci- 
dents in the Life and Ministry of the venerable Moncrieff of Kilforgie ;" the 
First and Last Communion ; and " Hans Van Bcnschooten." These nar- 
ratives, which contain instruction for readers of every class, are peculiarly 
appropriate to the young. Were we to estimate them merely as narratives 
on the scale of merit, as well written sketches, wc should give them a de- 
cided preference to the numerous works of fiction, which are read for re- 
creation, or to indulge a passion for thrilling adventure. The volume is 
beautifully printed, and put up in a style which will commend it to the 
good taste of the reader. 

From the Troy Whig. 
Lights and Shadows of Christian Life, by Wm. C. Brownlee, D. D., 
from the Press of John S. Taylor, Publisher, and Theological and Sun- 
day School Bookseller, Neio-York. This volume contains a number of in. 
teresting sketches and naiTatives, drawn, as the author states, from real life. 
It is intended chiefly for the young, and will be read with pleasure by those 
who are fond of the serious dressed up in something of the style of an ordi- 



12 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

nary tale or novel. Tlio author, Dr. Brownlee, is known as a man of talents, 
and a prominent preacher in the city of New- York. For sale m this city by 
Robert Wasson, River-street. 

From the Norwich Courier. 

Lights and Shadows of Christian Life. Designed for the instruction 
of the Young. By Wm. C. Brownlee, D. D. New-York, John S. Tay- 
lor — 12mo. pp. 388. Norwich, sold by Samuel C. Starr. — Some of these 
sketches have appeared before in print, and met the approbation of the pub- 
lic, and are now collected together, revised and enlarged, with the hope of 
doing more extensive good by giving them a wider circulation. Tlie author 
says, " I profess to write for young people. In the place of those light and 
immoral works which the Press inflicts on good taste, and religion and mo 
rals, I am anxious to attempt the substitution of something which may, per- 
haps, captivate the attention of the young ; and by God's grace minister 
some lessons of instruction to the tender mind." This object appears to be 
happily accomplished. The tales, eight in number, are interesting in their 
incidents, well narrated and clothed in an ornate and captivating style : and 
being, as we believe, all founded on fact, they become the more instructive, 
as depicting circumstances in which others may be called to act. The book 
is worthy of the attention of parents and others. 

CHRISTIAN RETIREMENT. From the eighth London 
Edition. .^1 25. 

From the Religious Telegraph. 

Christian Retirement, or Spiritual Exercises of the Heart. By the 
Author of Christian Experience, as displayed in the Life and Writings 
of St. Paul. From the eighth London Edition; New-York, Published 
by John S. Taylor, 12mo. pp. 476. — This volume contains thoughts and re- 
flections on a great variety of subjects, connected with the intellectual and 
spiritual growth of the Christian, in pieces of four or five pages in length. 
" The Two Pillars," an article copied from it in our columns last Friday, 
is a fair specimen of the theology and style of the work. In sentiment and 
spirit it is excellent ; its design appears to be such as all good men must 
approve ; and the fact that it has passed through eight editions in London 
is a strong testimonial, recommending it to the Christian public. Judging 
the work from a partial reading, we cheerfully concur in such a common- 
dation of it. It is a book for the Christian family and closet. The author 
would promote the habit of self-examination and prayer, and lead the reader 
into a closer communion with his own heart and with God. And he en- 
deavours to promote this end, not by the charm and power of novelties — but 
y giving "line upon line" from the treasures of old theology — such as 
guided prophets and apostles and martyrs to their heavenly inheritance. 

From the Norwich Courier. 

Christian Retirement ; or Spiritual Exercises of the Heart — fro7n the 
eighth London edition. New-York, John S. Taylor, 12mo.pp. 476. This 
is one of those admirable volumes, which, disdaining to enter into sectarian 
controversy, aims to make us better christians by making us better acquainted 
with the Bible and our own hearts. The object of the writer is thus briefly 
noticed in the Preface : " The simple design in publishing the following re- 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 18 

flections is to induce a habit of self-3xamination and prayer ; and to excite 
to a more diligent perusal of the Word of God." This design is steadily 
and faithfully kept in view, and the fact tliat the volume has passed through 
eight editions in England is no mean testimony of its merits. If read with 
the right disposition of mind, it cannot be perused without some profit. It 
can be procui'cd at Mr. Starr's Book-store. 

From the Methodist Protestant. 

Chrisiian Rstirement ; or Spiritual Exercises of the Heart. This vol- 
ume consists of meditations and reflections upon evangelical subjects, and is 
a valuable companion for the Christian in his devotional retirement ; as it is 
calculated to exalt the mind — elevate tlie feelings, — excite to self-examina- 
tion, — engage the soul in devout and holy thought, and increase a sense 
of the value and importance of divine truth. The perusal of such a volume 
in the closet is highly advantageous, as it calls off the attention from the 
cares and tumults of life, and concentrates the thoughts upon God and 
heavenly things. This book, we think, is admirably adapted for this pur- 
pose, on account of the practical nature of the subjects ; the experimental 
xnanner m which they are Dreecnted, and tlic deep-toned piety which breathes 
•in every page. 

THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS— By James Harrington Evans, 
A. 31.— John S. Taylor, New-York. 

From the Brooklyn Advocate, 

The Spirit of Holiness is the spirit and essence of genuine and opera- 
ting piety. The Christian Pilgrim, if he would be true to the gerat 
calling of grace, needs ever to pray for and cultivate in his heart, that 
spirit of holiness which was so conspicuous in the Divine Master, and 
forms the great feature of resemblance between God and those whom He has 
sanctified ; and it is to be regretted that in the world, and even among pro- 
fessing Christians, this spirit is so seldom witnessed. Men who belong to the 
communion of Chiist, are often guilty of practices v/hich although not strictly 
immoral, savor but little of holiness. There are ten thousand acts of unchris. 
tianlike conduct, of which no code of laws can take cognizance, but which 
are adverse to all the aacrcd feelings of the soul, and directly opposed to the 
spirit of holiness. Against these the author has taken up his pen ; and after 
adverting to the creation, nature, and operation of the spirit of holiness, he 
dwells forcibly and aptly upon the manifold circumstances and passions which 
war against its existence. Mr. Evans, the author, is evidently a man of 
talent and good sense, and treats his subject in a proper and skilful manner. 
This being the firat American edition, it has prefixed to it an introductory 
preface by the Rev. Mr. Winslow, of the second Baptist Church of this city. 
The book is prhitcd in the excellent style, usually observable in Mr. Taylor's 
publications. 

THOUGHTS ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND EAR- 
LY PIETY. By Rev. Wm. S. Plumer. 31 cents. 

From the Morning Star. 
Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety, by Rev. William 
S. Plumer, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Richmond ; New- 

2 



14 ADVERTISEMSlSnra. 

York, John S. Taylor, Publisher, Brick Church Chapel, comer of Park 
Row and Nassau-street, opposite the City Hall. 

This is the title of a small, though neat and highly interesting work of 
113 pages, recently given to the public. It is a work on a most important 
subject, written in a clear, chaste and classical style, abounding with beau- 
ties of an elevated order, v/ith arguments of no ordinary force, and with in- 
struction and counsel, tliat render it a compendium of wisdom of opinion,, , 
associated with purity of thought and sentiment, evidently proceeding from 
and calculated to inculcate piety of principle and holiness of heart and life. 
It is one of the best and ablest advisory assistants, in the important duty of 
rightly and religiously educating children, that has ever been presented be- 
fore our eyes. All of it is interesting, much pathetically and sublimely 
eloquent. Its sterling merits entitle it to a general perusal, and the pre- 
cepts and examples it presents, claim for it universal acceptation and adop- 
tion, in educating the rising generation. 

From the Christian Intelligencer. 
Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety, by Rev. William 
S. Plumcr, Pastor of the first Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, 
New- York, John S. Taylor, 113 pp. 18mo. This neat little volume is on a 
subject of the first importance, and although it has frequently been treated, 
yet it well demands " line upon line, and precept upon precept." The name 
of the author will attract attention to it. I'lie striking and pungent manner 
which characterises him, and his aptness at illustration will be found in the 
little work. It is divided into eight sections or chapters, and will prove in- 
structive and interesting both to parents and children. It may be ranked 
among the little volumes which deserve to be found in the family, and to be 
put into the hands of children either as presents,- or from the Sunday School 
Library. 

From the Methodist Protestant. 
Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety, by Rev. W. S. 
Plumer. The object of this little volume is one of the greatest importance ; 
and those who take a proper view of it, will be glad to receive any judicious 
suggestions upon the religious education of children. Many will be found in 
this little production, that are very important to be observed, in improving 
the mind, and forming the character of the young ; so as to bring them in early 
life, under the dominion of the religion of the Bible. The whole subject is 
discussed, and presented to the mind, in these " Thoughts," in a very judi- 
cious and impressive manner, as might be expected from the character of the 
author, who is extensively knov/n as an able, and zealous minister of Christ. 

From the American Traveller. 
Plumcr^s Thoughts. — A very excellent little treatise is that of the Rcr. 
Mr. Plumer, on Religious Education, published in a handsome manner by 
Mr. J. S. Taylor, New- York. It discusses in plain and convincing language, 
the importance of early instilling into the minds of the generation that is to 
succeed us, the first principles of that substantial knowledge which will 
enable them to direct wisely the chariot of church and state. The chapters 
are brief and the pages unencumbered with irrelevant matter ; the youth or 
the parent cannot misunderstand the design of the author, and he must be an 
indifferent reader indeed who would not derive information and encourage- 
ment from its perusal. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 15 

From the Religious Telegraph. 

Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety^ by Rev. WilUam S. 
Plumer, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va. New- 
York, Published by John S. Taylor, 18mo. p. 113. 

Since mentioning this volume two weeks since, we have had the opportu- 
nity of examining it. It contains many excellent thoughts on a subject, 
which, though often discussed, is not generally appreciated. The reader 
will find in it valuable suggestions on tlie following topics : Importance of 
the subject of Education ; Education, what it is ; Religious Education ; 
Rules for it ; Early Piety possible ; Motives to Fidelity in Religious Instruc- 
tion, and Cases of Early Piety. We would commend the work to all pa- 
rents as an assistant in the most unportant work (next to their own salvation) 
which God has assigned them. 

From the Essex North Register. 

Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety, by Rev. William 
S. Plumer. N. Y. John S. Taylor, 1836. 

The above is the title of a little work veiy happily written, and destined 
to do much good, we think, to those who are the Educators of the young. 
In these days, when there is so much need of family influence to counteract 
the wildnesscs of the times, this book appears very opportunely, and we hope 
will be read by all young parents. It contains the minute detail upon family 
discipline and religious instructio)i, which in the course of their experience, 
thej often find themselves in want of. 

From the Baptist Record. 

Thoughts on Religious Education and Early Piety, by Rev. William S. 
Plumer, Pastor of the First Presb3^erian Church in Richmond, Va. New- 
York : John S. Taylor, Theological and Sunday School Bookseller, Brick 
Church Chapel, corner of Park Row and Nassau-strcet. 18mo. pp. 113. 

This excellent little work contains eight sections on the following topics : 
Importance of the subject of Education ; What it is ; Religious Education ; 
Early Piety possible ; Motives to Fidelity in Religious Instruction ; Cases 
of Early Piety ; Conclusion. 

This work is written in a spirited manner. It contains many excellent 
rules for the moral and religious training of children, and these principles of 
religious education are aptly illustrated by several striking instances of early 
piety. On these accounts, the work will be useful and interesting to parents 
and children. We wish it an introduction to families and Sabbath Schools. 

AN EARNEST APPEAL TO CHRISTIANS, ON THE 
DUTY OF MAKING EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES 
FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. By 
Wm. C. Brownlee, D. D. 31 cents. 

From the American Baptist. 

An Earnest Appeal to Christians on the Duty of Making Efforts and 
Sacrifices for the Conversion of the World. By W. C. Brownlee, D. D., 
of the Middle and North Dutch Churclics, N. Y. Now- York : John S. 
Taylor, Brick Church Chapel, corner of Park Row and Nassau-street. 18mo. 
pp. 157. 

This work is in three parts. The first presents a view of the work to be 



16 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

accomplished, viz : The Conversion of the World, as predestined, predict- 
ed, and certain to be effected by the influence of the Holy Spirit. The second 
treats of the means by which this work is to be accomplished, in twelve 
chapters, in which are considered — the spirit which should influence us, 
prayerful, zealous, and active ; facts relating to the condition of the heathen, 
the worth of their souls, instances of missionary success, facilities afforded by 
Sunday schools, Bible classes, infant schools, &c. ; female influence, and the 
contrast of the condition of woman in Christian and heathen countries ; the 
Bible, the grand Instrument, with tracts in foreign tongues ; the spirit and man. 
■n&x a? Moravian missionaries ioh^ copied. ; evangelical revivals to he cherish- 
ed, and religious young men educated ; need of wisdom, as well as zeal and 
funds ; popular ignorance and a perverted public opinion must be cured by 
the labors of discreet agents ; difficulties in the way, from rich men and 
poor men, and sometimes in the church ; the command of God to publish 
the gospel to all men universally obligatory, we must send or be sent ; and 
property is entrusted to us for this purpose, and r.ot to lavish on ourselves or 
children ; the necessary sacrifices are not really great ; all might be saved 
from intemperance and other needless expenses ; the expansive power of 
benevolence will open new and rich resources, and there is a dire curse on 
the possession of wealth unsanctified by benevolence ; the importance of 
immediate action, and the loss and folly of postponing charitable efforts. 

The third part urges the motives which influence all to enter on this 
great and good work, drawn from the deplorable condition of pagans, from 
the compassion of Christ, and the retributions of eternity. 

Such is an analysis of this work. It is written in the author's manner, 
rather pungent and impressive than accurate and elaborate. And though 
dedicated to the Reformed Dutch Church, and intended to awaken a mis. 
sionary spirit among a people who have but recently engaged spiritedly in 
the good work of foreign missions, its general circulation would diffiise some 
valuable information among many, and awaken zeal in all the friends of this 
evangelical enterprise. 

From the Morning Star. 

An Earnest Appeal to Christians, on tM duty of making Efforts and 
Sacrifices for the Conversion of the World, by W. C. Brownlee, D. D., of 
the Middle and North Dutch Churches, N. Y., pubhshed by John S. Tay- 
lor, Brick Church Ohapel, corner of Park Row and Nassau street, New- 
York. 

This is the title of an interesting little work of 157 pages addressed to 
Christians of all denominations, urging them to unite their prayers, their ex. 
ertions, and their wealth for the dissemination of the trutlis of the Gospel, 
by means of teaching and preaching, and the circulation of the Sacred 
Scriptures throughout tli« whole world, for its conversion. The writer enters 
on his task witli his accustomed zeal and ability, exhibits in a comprehensive 
view the magnitude and immense importance of the undertaking, states and 
proves that it is to and will be accomplished, and through the instrumentality 
of means ; shows the duty of Christians, in this matter, and presents them 
with the most powerful motives for undertaking, carrying on and consum- 
mating the work. This volume will be read with interest by all who sin- 
cerely desire the spread of the gospel, and the conversion of the world, now 
" lying in wickedness," to the religion of the " Prince of Peace," and the 
glorious hope of a happy immortality. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 17 

THOUGHTS ON EVANGELIZING THE WORLD. By 
Rev. S. H. Skinner, D. D. 37 cents. 

From the Weekly Messenger. 

Thoughts on Evangelizing the World, by Thomas H. Skinner, pp. 98, 
published by John S. Taylor, Park Row. The great subject of this dis- 
course, is one which should occupy the attention of every Christian. The 
scriptures speak with conjSdencc on the universal spread of the Gospel, and, 
from a consideration of its various promises and predictions, we are led to 
expect tlie overthrow of tiie Satanic empire, in the complete subjugation of 
the world to the authority of Christ. Success in this respect depends greatly 
upon the character and conduct of professing Christians ; spiritual prosperity 
among the people of God ; — faithfulness in the performance of every duty, 
is almost necessarily attended by an outpourmg of the Spirit of God, and 
the conversion of sinners : but in the absence of this, when the professors 
of religion are cold and indifferent, we seldom hear of reformations among 
ungodly men. It is quite evident that God will bless the world through the 
church ; the liglit of truth will shine through her, and chase away the gloom 
and darkness of benighted humanity. The Psahnist says, " Out of Zion, 
the perfection of beauty, God hath shined," So it has been and so it will 
be. The text clioscn by Dr. Skinner, at the opening of the Mercer street 
Presbyterian Church, is exactly to the same point ; the church must be en- 
lightened and revived in order to the diffusion of saving knowledge. " God 
be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us : Se- 
lah ! TJiat thy way may be knov/n upon earth ; thy saving health among 
all nations." The sublime sentiments, so beautifully expressed in this ad- 
mirable discourse, should be in the hands of all who love our Lord Jesus 
Christ. The chief point insisted on is Christian unity, and who does not 
know that witliout it little good can be done ? The world will not believe 
in the divine mission and saving character of Christ, unless Christians, pro- 
fessedly so, are one in Christ, and one among themselves. Sectarian notions 
and movements are an insuperable barrier to the spread of truth. This is 
shown most clearly in the discourse before us, and our author abns at 
their overthrow in the follov/ing plan of the discourse, whicli is well sustained 
and carried out, 

" Takhig, then, for granted that to evangelize the world is tlie great ob- 
jcct of pursuit to all Christians, I advance and shall endeavour to maintain 
the following, as miNciPLES by which their cftbrts in prosecuting this ob- 
ject should be regulated — namely : 

That they should seek to propagate substantial Christianity, rather than 
any sectarian form of it. 

That they should lay their plans of evangelism, so as to admit the coali- 
tion of all Cln-istians. 

^ That they should so conduct their proceedings as to evade as far as pos- 
sible opposition from tlio world : 

That nevertheless the utmost zeal and resolution ai'c mdispcnsable to car- 
rying the work forward ; But, after all. 

That they should depend for success, not on their own exertions, however 
unexceptionable ; but on the co-operation of the Divine Power." 

We advise Christians of every denomination to purchase, and in the spirit 
of prayer, read, this most excellent discourse. We think it is adapted to 
maintain unity and pcaco among all smccrc lovers of practical Chris- 
"" — 'iy, 

2* 



18 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

The book is beautifully printed on good paper, and the binding is superb. 
In the centre of the cover, is impressed in splendid gold letters, the aU- 
comprehensive prayer " Thy Kingdom come." 

POPERY AN ENEMY TO LIBERTY. By Wm. C. Brown. 
lee, D. D. 31 cents. 

PLEASURE AND PROFIT, Vol. 1, or The Museum. By 

Uncle Arthur. 27^ cents. 

PLEASURE AND PROFIT, Vol. 2, or The Boy's Friend. 

By Uncle Arthur. 37} cents. 

PLEASURE AND PROFIT, Vol. 3, or Mary and Flo- 
rence. By Uncle Arthur. 37^ cents. 

MISSIONARY REMAINS, or Sketches of Evarts, Cor. 
NELius, AND WisNER. By Gardiner Spring, D. D., and 
others. 371 cents. 

THE CHRISTIAN'S POCKET COMPANION. Selected 
from the works of John Rogers, Dr. Owen, David Brain. 
ERD, President Edwards, and others, with an Introduction 
by Rev. John Blatchford, of Bridgeport, Conn. 25 cents. 

From the New-York Observer. 

Christian's Pocket Companion. This very small but neat manual, just 
publislied, is a compilation of some of the purest sentiments and holiest as. 
pirations of such men as Owen, Rogers, Brainerd, and President Edwards. 
We venture to say that no Christian can make it the familiar companion of 
his heart, as well as " pocket," without becoming evidently a holier and a 
happier man. 

THE CAUSE AND CURE OF INFIDELITY. By the 
Rev. David Nelson, of Quincy, Illinois ; late of Marion 
County, Missouri. New-York." John S. Taylor, 1837. 

From the Journal of Commerce. 
A book with the above title page, has just been published by Mr. Jolm S. 
Taylor. When it was announced as being in the press, the thought was 
suggested, v/hether there was not already an abundance of treatises on the 
subject of infidelity ; and whether the feebleness of argument, which cha- 
racterize some, and the cold, abstruse speculation which chills and mystifies 
others, were not adapted rather to beget scepticism than to remove it. But 
a perusal of this book has convinced us, that at least one treatise was want- 
ing, which in simplicity, cogency, directness, and clear illustration, should 
be answerable to the practice and business-like habits of the present genera- 
tion. Dr. Nelson's work has all these characteristics, and is therefore pre- 
eminently suited to make a deep impression upon the conunimity. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 19 

Our author was once himself a sceptic, thoroughly versed in all sceptical 
writings, from the bnpious witticisms of Voltaire, down to the miserable 
slang of Tom Paine. His acquaintance with men, in all parts of our coim- 
try, is uncommonly extensive ; and he has met practical infidelity as a, friend 
and a foe, in almost every variety of form. He comes before the public, 
therefore, as a physician intimately acquainted with the disease which he 
professes to cure. None can read the book and not feel that the writer is 
perfectly master of his subject. For strength of argument, point, simplici- 
ty, and felicitous illustration, drawn from a storehouse of facts, the book is 
equal to any we ever read. It is a common sense book, which we hope will 
find its way into every family in our land. Sincerely do we hope it will be 
read by all who are infected with the disease of infidelity, and work, with 
the blessing of God, a speedy cure. The external execution of the book is 
good, it being printed on excellent paper and handsomely bound. 

From the Commercial Advertiser. 

The Cause and Cure of Infidelity, with an account of the author's con- 
version. By the Rev. David Nelson. New-York. John S. Taylor, 1837. 

This is no common-place, or ordinary book : but is an original, experi- 
mental and practical work, adapted to the existing aspects of scepticism in 
our country, and cannot fail to be useful to all who read it. The author^ 
now an aged and venerable minister of the gospel, was long an infidel, a dis- 
ciple of rationalism, a confirmed sceptic. He writes, therefore, from expe- 
rience of infidelity, its causes and its cure ; and as the spirit and style of the 
volume are mild and conciliatory, while at the same time he deplores error 
and vindicates truth with sufficient point and force, we see not how sceptics. 
who are honest, can excuse themselves from reading this book of reasons for 
renouncing scepticism and vain philosophy, by one who now labors to build 
up that which he once sought to destroy. We commend this book of reasons 
for believing in the Bible, written by an Infidel, to all " free inquirers" who 
are honest, and such will, at least, be convinced that the author is sincere ; 
and more, that the extraordinary revolution of his opinions, which he here 
records, was yielded with a sufficiency of resistance, and not until every 
weapon of rationalism had been wielded and vanquished by the majesty of 
truth. The distribution of this volume among sceptics of every class, would 
do more to convert them from the error of their ways than can be hoped for 
from public or private disputations, or even from those strictly controversial 
works which arc ever issuing from the press. The author and publisher havo 
performed a real service to the community by this timely publication. 

SERMONS. By Rev. Charles G. Finney. With a Portrait. 

$1 00. 

The sennons are twelve in number, on the following subjects : 

1. Sinners bound to change their own hearts. 

2. How to change your heart. 

3. Traditions of tlii; elders. 

4. 5. Total depravity. 

G. Why sinners hate God. 

7. God cannot please sinners. 

8. Christian Affinity. 

9. Stewardship. 



80 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

10. Doctrine of Election. 

11. Reprobation. 

12. Love of the World. 

It will be seen, from a glance at the subjects, that this volume contains 
Mr. Finney's mode of elucidating several highly important points of doc- 
trine and duty, and will be read with interest and profit every where, pp. 
277. 8vo. Price $1. 

From the Morning Star. 

Sermons on Important Subjects, by Rev. C. G. Fimiey. Third edition, 
pp. 277, large octavo. 

This volume comprises twelve sermons, on highly important practical 
subjects, which ought to address themselves to the serious consideration of 
every man, woman, and child of Adam. These sermons were, we believe, 
principally delivered in the Chatham-street Chapel, and set forth, in a clear, 
forcible and convincing manner, the reverend author's views of the Gospel- 
truths of which he treats. The style is plain and sententious, though 
wrought with much originality, and characterized by the boldness, energy, 
and persuasiveness of its author. 

The reasoning is sound, and the deductions logical and clear. Man is 
here depicted as he is, in all the attributes of his character, and he is shown 
more of himself than in most instances he ever knew before. The doctrines 
we consider as altogether purely evangelical, entirely compatible with those 
of divine revelation, and susceptible of demonstration by reference to its 
sacred pages. This author has been much abused by those v/ho either did 
not fully understand the import and tendency of his language and doctrines, 
or by those who perhaps had formed preconceptions of a character in hos- 
tility to the opinions and doctrines he advances ; or by others again who did 
not wish to believe the important truths he uttered, lest they should be re- 
proved. We have not only heard but read his sermons, and however much 
v/e charitably differ from otliers, consider these sermons as valuable auxil- 
iaries in the schools of Christian instruction. Their approval by the Chris- 
tian public is evident from the issue of this thh'd edition. 

From the Long-Island Star. 

Sermons on Important Subjects, by the Rev. C. G. Finney — New- York 
— John S. Taylor. Many of the themes of this volume are upon debateable 
ground, and we are therefore, by the character of our paper, precluded from 
speaking affirmatively or negatively about the correctness of the views 
therein inculcated. There are some, howxver, of a more general and prac- 
tical character, wliich, from the force of argument and the vigor of imagina- 
tion in which they are clothed, appeal most powerfully to the common mind. 
However diversified the opinions respecting Mr. Finney's mere theological 
merits, all must unite in awarding him talents of a very high order. This 
volume well sustains his pretensions as a man of commanding abilities. We 
would say, en passant, that .the works issued by John S. Taylor are invari- 
ably executed in a very superior style of type, paper, and binding ; and in 
this he desei-ves the thanks of those readers who have a taste to gratify, or 
eyes to preserve. 

PREVAILING PRAYER. By Rev. C. G. Finney. 32mo. 
12^ cents. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 21 

SINNERS BOUND TO CHxVNGE THEIR OWN HEARTS. 

A Sermon, by C. G. Fiuncy. For five dollars a hundred, or 
six cents single. 

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR HEART. A Sermon, by C. 
G, Finney. For five dollars a hundred, or six cents single. 

THE WORKS OF REV. DANIEL A. CLARK. In three 
volumes. ^3 00. 

ADVICE TO A BROTHER. By a Missionary. 31 cents. 

EARLY PIETY. By Rev. Jacob Abbott. 18| cents. 

SCRIPTURE GEMS. Morocco, gilt. 25 cents. 

THE NATIONAL PREACHER, printed in an elegant pam- 
phlet form, each number containing two Sermons from living 
Ministers. Monthly. Edited by Rev. Austin Dickinson. 
Price one dollar a year in advance. 

THE SABBATH SCHOOL VISITER, published by the 
Massachusetts Sabbath School Society. Edited by Rev. 
Asa Bullard, Boston. 50 cents. 

Also Agent for 
THE MISSIONARY HERALD, published for the American 
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Monthly. 
$1 50 a year. 

Also Publisher of 
THE NAVAL MAGAZINE. Edited by the Rev. C. S. 
Stewart, M. A., of the U. S. Navy. $3 00 a year, payable 
in advance. 

WILD FLOWERS. By a Lady. 1 vol. 12mo. 

SERMONS. By Rev. William Nevins. D. D. 1 volume, 

12mo. 
PRACTICAL RELIGION. By Rev. John Woodbridge, D. 

D. 12mo. 

TEMPERANCE TALES. By Mr. Sargeant, of Boston. In 
2 vols. 18mo. 

NARRATIVE OF CHARLES BALL. 1 vol. 12mo. 



23 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

Prom the Journal of Public Morals. 

Narrative of Charles Ball. — This is a history of the exertions of a slave 
to obtain his freedom, and is a very impressive exhibition of the influence of 
slavery on the moral character both of the slave and his master. It is written 
in a charming style, and is calculated deeply to interest all classes. It resembles 
the story of Robinson Crusoe, in the nature of the interest awakened, and would 
seem utterly incredible to any one, who was not able to conceive the strength 
of the love of liberty as it burns in the heart of man. Let a man reading 
this book conceive himself in the same circumstances with Charles Ball, and 
it will vastly destroy his incredulity. It is natural to suppose, that Charles, 
in relating his adventures, would give them in a glowing style, and it is evi- 
dent, that while the Editor declares, that in all statements relative to the 
slave himself, he faithfully adheres to the facts as stated by him, he has, 
nevertheless, exerted a very high degree of skill, in the introduction of such 
illustrations as the varied scenery of the southern and middle states would 
be likely to furnish. The writer does not enter into the present discussion 
respecting Emancipation, but he has certainly furnished us with a volume, 
which is adapted to give much instruction, combined with a high degree of 
intellectual enjoyment. We advise all those who wish to have a rich feast 
of harmless and profitable curiosity, to purchase and read the adventures of 
Charles Ball. N. E. I. 

From the American Citizen. 

I 

Slavery in the United States : — A Narrative of the Life and Advert' 
tures of Charles Ball, a Black Man. New- York, J. S. Taylor, Brick 
Church Chapel, 1837. 

The feeling existing in the community in relation to the institution of do- 
mestic slavery in the United States, will not be lessened by a perusal of this 
volume, written as it is in a style peculiarly attractive. The Narrative is of 
deep, and occasionally harrowing interest, and some of the incidents, for the 
sake of humanity it were to be wished, had no foundation in reality, but there 
are such strong evidences of their truth, that we can only lament over the 
absence of that blessed principle in the hearts of many of our fellow beings, 
which would lead them to do to others as they would that men should do to 
them. The book is put forth with the avowed object of making the citizens 
of the United States better acquainted with each other, and it is to be sin- 
cerely hoped that it may be instrumental in accomplishing so desirable an 
end. 

From the Human Rights. 

Charles Ball. — Mr. John S. Taylor, of this city, has just pubHshed a new 
and beautiful edition of the authentic " Narrative of Charles Ball," a book 
that is destined to be as famous as Robinson Crusoe and far more useful. 
We know of one esteemed clergyman who has recommended it from the 
pulpit, and means to do so again. 

From the N. Y. Evangelist. 

Slavery in the United States : — A Narrative of the Life and Adven- 
tures of Charles Ball, a Black Man. New- York, John S. Taylor, Brick 
Church Chapel. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. S3 

In the preface to this book it is stated, that the narrative is taken from the 
mouth of the adventurer himself, and although the copy does not retain the 
identical words of the original, the sense and import are faithfully preserved. 
The book as we understand has previously appeared in the numbers of the 
Cabinet of Freedom, and has passed under the supervision of the Hon. Wm. 
Jay. It is one of the most interesting narratives which has ever come from 
our press. Ball was a slave who lived forty years in Maryland, South Ca- 
rolina, and Georgia, under various masters. A very candid spirit is mani- 
fested in the praise which he bestows upon some of the southern planters ; 
but the horrors of slavery never have stood out in such bold relief as in the 
eimple detail of manners and things as they really exi^t on a great plan- 
tation. There is hardly any thing in the book of a denunciatory spirit — it 
is the vividness with which the cotton fields, the rice swamps, the scanty 
allowance of food, the instruments of torture, the abject and hopeless con- 
dition of beings, who bear the image of theii* Creator, are presented, which 
makes one rise from the perusal of this book, with a mind sickening at the 
deep wrongs of the poor slave. 

The book contains 517 pages duodecimo : it is well executed, printed on 
good paper, and handsomely bound. It cannot but have an extensive circu- 
lation, and will do much towards enlightening the public mind on a subject 
which can never be fully understood, unless by a detail, such as the one be- 
fore us. 

CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. By Rev. John Wesley. 
18mo. 

From the American Citizen. 

A Plain Account of Ckrisiian Perfection, by John Wesley, from 1725 
to 1777, witli his own Notes. From the London Edition of 1837. New- 
York, John S. Taylor, Brick Church Chapel, Publisher. 

The subject of this book is a disputed one, and even the mind of the au- 
thor, as appears by the notes, underwent material change on some points in 
the course of his life. However, the volume can hardly be read without 
both pleasure and profit. Mr. Wesley's faith and zeal were looked upon as 
rather uncommon in his time, for the latter of which he had bestowed upon 
him some pretty harsh epithets ; and it may be, tliat his faith was strength- 
ened, and his zeal quickened, by his belief that perfection might, and ought 
to be attained by the Christian in this life. 

The book is a small 12mo. neatly executed. 

THE INFANT. A Poem, in four Books. By Rev. John 
Mines. 1 vol. 12mo. 

PRIVATE MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS OF B.SHOP 
WILSON. 1 vol. IBmo. 

Also— TRAVELS IN GERMANY, PRUSSIA, AND SWIT- 
ZERLAND. By Henry Hiestandv Including some ac- 
count of his early life, conversion, and ministerial labours in 
the United States. 1 vol. 12mo. 



24 ADVERTISEMENTS. 

FINNEY'S PRACTICAL LECTURES TO CHRISTIANS. 
1 vol. 12mo. 

J. S. T. has also a large and choice selection of Miscella- 
neous Works, suitable for Sunday School Libraries ; together 
with Theological, Classical, Moral, and Religious Books, Sta- 
tionary, &c., all of which he will sell at the lowest price. 

A constant supply of the Publications of the Massachusetts 
Sabbath School Society, the American Sunday School Union, and 
of the Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union, at the same 
price as sold at their respective Depositories^ 

0^ Orders from the country will be immediately attended 
to, and books forwarded according to directions. Should the 
selection of books for Sunday Schools be left with J. S. T., and 
he should forward any which would not suit the purchaser, they 
may be returned, and the money will be refunded, or other books 
given in exchange. Those v/ishing to purchase, are invited to 
call and examine his stock. 



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